Just Once
by romancerevival
Summary: AU set after ep15. Damon's emotions finally get the better of him and he skips town. In his absence, Elena is increasingly miserable without him. Realizing how much he matters to her, she goes looking for him. Because someone needs to pick him, just once.
1. Behind Blue Eyes

**Just Once**

** ~An AU Fan Fic starting in the middle of episode 1x15, "A Few Good Men". Damon, already emotionally wrecked from discovering that Katherine wasn't in the tomb and never loved him in the first place, hits rock bottom when he finds out he "killed" Elena's mother. Too distraught to take it any longer, he packs up and skips town. Time passes, and Elena realizes she's no longer angry at Damon. Her life isn't at its best, and she decides to go find Damon and try to bring him back. Because someone needs to pick him, just once. ~**

**Fan Fic #2! I'm infinitely grateful and shocked at the response my first story, **_**Reading Between the Lines, **_**got. To all of you who read that one and are giving this story a chance, thank you so much! I hope and pray this one doesn't disappoint. A few points before we get started: in this story, the tomb vamps never escaped. I decided they would muddle up my own storyline too much, and hinder Delena progress. Some characters will also be excluded, like Uncle John and Katherine. This story takes place before Katherine's return, as I'd like to pretend that we're still all blissfully unaware of the idea that she would come storming back in. Also, for those of you who don't know, I'm an intense team Damon/Delena shipper. So if Stefan is what rings your bell, I would advise you to stop reading right now, unless you're looking to be converted. On a side note, we're less than 2 weeks away from season 2! The anticipation is torture. All of these promos and interviews are such a tease! Enough of my fangirl ramblings; I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: No, nothing has changed since last time. I still don't own the Salvatores, or anyone else in TVD for that matter. I'm just delusional to the point that I have to write my own Delena tales to satisfy my obsession with the two of them. Because being a Delena shipper is much more masochistic than being a Stelena shipper, as most of us very well know. **

**Chapter 1: Behind Blue Eyes**

_No one knows what it's like to be the bad man_

_To be the sad man behind blue eyes_

_No one knows what it's like_

_To be hated, to be fated to only telling lies_

_But my dreams, they aren't as empty_

_As my conscience seems to be_

_I have hours, only lonely_

_My love is vengeance that's never free_

…

"Did I forget to mention, earlier when we were talking, about my birth mother, the one who gave me up?"

"Mhm?" Damon murmured in reply, curious to see where Elena was taking this.

"Her name was Isobel," Elena related to him coldly, her voice threatening to tremble.

_Shit. _Damon couldn't form a coherent thought other than that, and his stomach dropped. His emotions were already in shambles, and finding out that he had taken away the birth mother of the only human he cared about was the straw that just might break this camel's back. The smirk fell off his face, revealing a rare glimpse of his real emotions. He was too stricken to try and cover them up at the moment.

"Go ahead. Reminisce about how you _killed _her," Elena ground out, hurt and anger clouding her voice. She pushed past him, stalking off with her head down. Damon turned, numbly watching her go. Stefan shook his head, giving him a weary, chastising look, and followed his girlfriend. Damon's face distorted in distress, something unnamable eating away at him. What was wrong with him? Since when did turning someone bother him? _Since it hurt someone you had gotten to know._ Since when had hurting someone bothered him? Damon refused to let himself answer that question. Not knowing what else to do, he walked around the building and traipsed across the parking lot to sit in his car. Sitting alone in the glow of the streetlights, he sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. He couldn't go back in there and face Elena; he wouldn't be able to stand her looking at him, knowing what she knew. Anger he could handle; but seeing such pain in her eyes, and knowing that he was the reason it was there, was unbearable.

Damon glanced around, suddenly wondering why he was still here. There was nothing to keep him here; Katherine wasn't in the tomb and obviously didn't give a damn where he was, his brother and his girlfriend didn't want him here, and all of the memories of the town haunted him night and day. No one wanted him. There was no reason to stay. Something tugged at him, telling him that there was one reason to stay, but Damon pushed it away, knowing that that one reason didn't want him to. Especially not after tonight. Resolutely, Damon started his classic old car, revving the engine and turning to cruise down the street. A few minutes later, he was at the boarding house, the old structure looming above him in the night.

As Damon stepped through the front door, he was suddenly in a hurry. He didn't want to stay here a second longer. He packed his belongings with supernatural speed, tossing his entirely black wardrobe and a few other things into a suitcase and dumping it into the trunk of his car. Not looking back, he slammed the front door with unnecessary force and ducked into the front seat of his car, speeding away. Yet as his car drew near Maple Street, he unconsciously slowed down, his eyes drifting down the road to Elena's house. Not really knowing why, he turned onto the street, cruising to a stop in front of her home.

Quietly shutting the door to his car, but leaving the engine running, Damon snatched a rose from the bushes near the house and made a graceful leap onto the roof, landing near the window he knew led into Elena's room. Easing it open, he carefully stepped over the sill, his boots meeting her soft carpet. In the room, he was overwhelmed by the heavenly sweet scent he had memorized by now. Closing his eyes and inhaling, he savored the moment before crossing over to her dresser, studying the pictures she had tucked into the mirror. Her with her girlfriends on a night out, leaning on each other and laughing; Her with her parents and Jeremy, everyone posed but smiling genuinely; Her and Stefan, their heads leaning together and his brother smiling yet pensive; and finally, Elena on her 16th birthday, not looking directly at the camera, her mouth twisted into an amused smile and face aglow from the candles on the cake. Damon gently pulled the last picture from the frame of the mirror, and glancing at it once more, he tucked it into his pocket. Why he wanted to hold on to the memory of her, he didn't know; it would merely force open old wounds. Thinking of her would never allow him a fresh start, but then maybe he'd rather remember her and be miserable than start over and never see her face again. Looking down at the rose dangling from his fingers, Damon carefully laid it on the top of the dresser beneath the mirror. As his fingers brushed the deep red petals, he marveled at their softness, and was suddenly reminded of how similar Elena's cheek had felt under his fingers that night when he had sneaked up to her room, close to when he had first met her. Shaking his head as if to clear it, Damon lithely climbed back out the window and jumped carelessly back down to his car. He was about to set off for good, before he remembered something he forgot to clarify. He personally could care less about the teacher's well-being, but if he told him the truth about Isobel, maybe one day Alaric in turn would tell Elena that her mother was still out there somewhere, if she ever wanted to know. Damon told himself it had nothing to do with making Elena hate him a little less. _He didn't care what she thought anymore_, or so he forced his thoughts to tell him. Making a sharp U-turn, he turned a few streets over onto the teacher's street and parked outside his house. He spotted Ric turning the key in his front door, glancing from side to side in a slightly paranoid manner; not that Damon could really blame him. He slammed his car door, announcing his presence.

"What you looking so nervous for? Afraid your wife is gonna come back and tap a vein?" Damon didn't mean for the truth to slip out so suddenly and was slightly taken aback by his own words, but what did he care, anyways?

"What the hell? What do you mean, 'tap a vein'? You know what? Don't even talk to me right now. You come one step closer, and I swear I'll stake you." Ric looked like he could punch a wall.

"Chill, Saltzman. I didn't kill your dearly beloved. Or should I say dearly departed?" Damon drawled lazily, his infuriating smirk on display.

"You sure as hell did something to her!" Ric growled.

Damon shot the teacher a "duh" look. "Obviously. I turned her."

Alaric's eyes widened, his expression livid. "You _what?" _

"Oh, you heard me. And for your information, she practically begged me to. Guess she wasn't…satisfied with life at home."

"She…she asked you to?" The teacher mumbled, looking crestfallen. Damon nodded slowly, rolling his eyes. "I should've seen it coming…" Alaric whispered to himself, his heart sinking.

"Well, now you know. See you around, teacher…or not." Damon tossed a careless wave over his shoulder and returned to his car, slamming the door harder than when he arrived. He sped toward the interstate, this time not turning around, stopping for nothing and no one.

As he cruised down the darkened roads, passing lone 18-wheelers and the occasional weary traveler, his mind kept wondering back to one question that had been gnawing him earlier. _Since when had hurting someone bothered him? _No matter how hard he fought back the answer, he knew it nevertheless: since that person happened to be Elena. Lately, he'd often found himself going out of his way for her, trusting her and coming to her aid. He never did that. He was Damon, for god's sake. He only helped himself. Only _trusted _himself. But at the tomb, Elena had proven that she could be trusted after all. She was there for him. She had made sure that he didn't get left in the tomb, and she was the only one who had offered him any comfort. Foreign as the concept was, Damon found himself looking out for her interests more and more. _Because…because he cared about her. Dear god, he cared about her. _The second he admitted it to himself, the emotional switch inside him that had been threatening to flip as of late snapped, and he was flooded with his long-absent humanity. All the sorrow, guilt, regret, and disappointment from the past 145 years took over his senses, hitting him like a wrecking ball, and he lost control, hot tears springing behind his eyelids involuntarily. He realized that the real reason he left was because he was afraid he would hurt someone else connected to Elena if he stayed any longer. _God, this girl would kill him_, he thought, pounding a fist against the steering wheel. He felt his already battered and bleeding heart rip wide open, aching down to the very core of his soul. Once outside the city limits, his vision blurred, Damon veered over to the shoulder and shut off the engine, leaning against the steering wheel and burying his face in his hands.

…

Saltzman had leaped back into his car, dumbstruck by Damon's confession. He didn't know what else to do, but he didn't want to be alone, so he drove back to the grill. He needed to tell _someone. _Stefan and Elena were standing off to the side, away from the bustle, looking somber and speaking in hushed tones. Shoving his hands in his front pockets, Alaric ambled over to them, his brow furrowed.

"I just spoke to Damon."

Elena's expression darkened, her eyebrows knitting together. Stefan grimaced. "What did he say now?"

"He said he didn't kill Isobel." Elena's eyebrows shot up, hope and confusion mingling in her eyes.

"What are you saying, then?" She inquired, her voice rising slightly.

"He turned her. She begged him to." Ric hated how the words tasted on his tongue, and his eyes fell to his boots.

"And you believe him?" Stefan asked, skepticism obvious in his voice.

"Against my better judgment, I'm afraid so. The weeks before she disappeared, she had been obsessing over vampires and how they lived their…afterlives. I passed it off as another one of her quirky phases. It seems…I was wrong." Alaric's voice cracked at the last sentence. Elena's eyebrows drew back together, and she bit her lip, lost in thought.

"She…begged him to…" Elena repeated in a whisper, stricken. _Damon didn't mindlessly kill her. He was just doing what she asked. _Elena shook her head. _That still doesn't make it right, _she reminded herself, but even so, she felt her anger towards the older Salvatore brother already beginning to melt. Stefan wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"This is a lot for one night. Why don't we just call it a day and go?" Stefan rubbed her arm, his expression weary yet soft. Elena nodded, and they exchanged goodbyes with Alaric before heading out to the parking lot. "Meet me at the boarding house?" Stefan suggested tiredly. Elena agreed and they parted ways, each climbing into their own car.

…...

Elena walked into the parlor of the boarding house to find it empty, dimly lit by a few candles flickering half-heartedly in their sconces. She was half-expecting to find Damon lounging on the overstuffed couch, nursing a glass of his favorite scotch, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Stefan? Damon?" She called out, her voice echoing faintly against the high ceilings. Stefan slowly made his way down the stairs, his steps sluggish and expression forlorn. "Stefan, what's wrong?" He didn't immediately answer, instead shuffling over the carpet and wrapping a hand around her elbow.

"Damon's gone." He admitted gravely.

Elena felt her heart drop. "'Gone'? What do you mean, 'gone'? He's probably just out on a binge, hitting it up with some sorority girls." Elena rolled her eyes. "He'll more than most likely come stumbling in sometime early tomorrow morning, won't he?" Elena somehow felt that the situation was different than what she had described, yet she still allowed herself to hope. Despite this recent little bump in the road, she and Damon had been becoming friends, no matter how unorthodox it seemed. They…understood each other.

"No, Elena. Not this time. All of his stuff is gone, his room emptied. There's no sign of him. He left. For good this time." Elena bowed her head, her eyes drifting shut in disbelief. Damon may be many things, but she would've never pegged him as a runner. Stefan pulled her into a hug.

"It's better off this way. The town is safer with him gone." At this, Elena pulled away, aghast that he would say such a thing.

"How can you say that? About your own brother?" Stefan's mouth fell open, speechless. "I know Damon did some terrible things, Stefan, but he's recovering from some harsh news. He doesn't need to just be left alone right now!" Elena crossed her arms, taking a step back.

"Come on, Elena! He's done enough to rip this town apart. He's dangerous and emotionally unstable right now. His leaving is for the best." Elena's teeth clenched in anger.

"You know what? I don't want to do this right now. I'm really tired and I think I'm just gonna go home." She said in a resigned voice that still had a chilling edge to it. Not wanting to fight, Stefan opened the front door, kissing her on the cheek as she went out. She didn't return the favor.

…

Elena wearily climbed the stairs to her room, shut her door, and dumped her coat and purse on the carpet with a muffled thud. She was about to fall face first into the mattress when something caught her eye. Crossing her room to the dresser, she picked up the perfect, lonely red bloom, lifting it to her nose and inhaling. The sweet aroma filled her head, and she caressed the satiny petals with her fingertips. Her gaze flickered to the mirror, feeling that something was off. Her eyes roved over the photographs, stopping at the bottom corner of the mirror. The picture of her from her sixteenth birthday was missing. Elena's shoulders slumped, knowing instinctively who had taken it. He had stopped here, leaving her with nothing to remember him by but the rose before he disappeared. Elena's fist tightened around the stem of the rose, and she didn't care that the thorns bit into her palm when she did so. Clutching the sad flower to her, she curled up on her bed and cried for the lost man that was out there somewhere, who had left her, driving away from her and into the night.

…

_To be the sad man behind blue eyes…_

_But my dreams, they aren't as empty_

_As my conscience seems to be_

…

** SO much more to come. Hope you guys enjoyed! Hate it, love it, feel somewhere in between about it, please leave a review! All opinions are welcomed. It's greatly appreciated, and honestly is one of the few things that brighten my day. So just please take a few seconds and let me know if I should keep going (or stop while I'm behind). If you didn't stop reading before you reached this author's note, you rock. Over and out! **


	2. Colder Months

** OH. My goodness. I am eternally grateful for the amazing response chapter 1 got! I seriously wanted to do a happy dance before I had to remind myself the time for happy dancing in my life has past. But really, to all of you who put me on story alert, favorite story, favorite author, or author alert, you make my day. Even so, an extra-special thanks is due to my lovely reviewers. You guys are amazing! Also, we're down to less than one week before the season 2 premiere, and the wait is KILLING me. Actually, I believe we should all take a moment to celebrate the fact that we've made it this far without being driven insane. Seriously, if the wait was just one month longer, I would probably end up raiding all of Kevin and Julie's wastebaskets in search of tossed scripts. Anywho, here's chapter 2, hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 2: Colder Months**

…

_All I can think about is you_

_I'm still bleeding_

_We're both bleeding_

_These thoughts of pain_

_Don't make a sound_

_They keep us hidden_

_In the lost and found_

_These colder months, wincing social graces_

_We keep with us, these fallen faces_

…

Previously:

…"_Her name was Isobel," Elena related to him coldly, her voice threatening to tremble._

_ Shit. Damon couldn't form a coherent thought other than that, and his stomach dropped. His emotions were already in shambles, and finding out that he had taken away the birth mother of the only human he cared about was the _

_straw that just might break this camel's back._

… _No one wanted him. There was no reason to stay. Something tugged at him, telling him that there was one reason to stay, but Damon pushed it away, knowing that that one reason didn't want him to. Especially not after tonight._

…"_Chill, Saltzman. I didn't kill your dearly beloved. Or should I say dearly departed?" Damon drawled lazily, his infuriating smirk on display._

_ "You sure as hell did something to Isobel!" Ric growled. _

_ Damon shot the teacher a "duh" look. "Obviously. I turned her. And for your information, she practically begged me to."_

… _Damon realized that the real reason he left was because he was afraid he would hurt someone else connected to Elena if he stayed any longer. _God, this girl would kill him,_ he thought, pounding a fist against the steering wheel. He felt his already battered and bleeding heart rip wide open, aching down to the very core of his soul. Once outside the city limits, his vision blurred, Damon veered over to the shoulder and shut off the engine, leaning against the steering wheel and burying his face in his hands. _

…"_Damon's gone." Stefan admitted gravely. _

_ Elena felt her heart drop. "'Gone'? What do you mean, 'gone'?"_

…

Elena sighed, crossing her arms as she stood alone in the parlor of the boarding house. The looming silence in the room threatened to suffocate her, and she bit her lip in frustration. Stefan was out hunting for the time being, not that his presence would've livened up the atmosphere anyways. Her shoulders sagged, and on impulse, Elena shuffled over to the liquor cart. Dust was beginning to gather on the abandoned bottles, which hadn't been touched for two weeks. Her eyes flickered over the labels of each bottle, and she finally came to _his _favorite scotch; she grasped the neck of the glass bottle before hesitantly raising it to her lips, thinking that somehow tasting the strong drink would make her feel closer to _him. _Instead, she merely felt a strong burning sensation as the alcohol slid down her throat. Wrinkling her nose and wheezing, Elena swallowed with some difficulty and let the bottle dangle loosely from her fingertips. Closing her eyes, she mentally chided herself for such a ridiculous notion. He was gone. He had left her, and he wasn't going to come back. And there was nothing she could do about it. _Pull yourself together, Elena, _she told herself, yet she still found herself bringing the scotch back to her lips for another swig. She hoped the buzz would make the boarding house a little more bearable; it had grown considerably dull and dispirited over the past couple of weeks. It was as if all of the life had been sucked from the air, leaving only a chilling, nagging silence in its wake. Elena swallowed the mouthful a little easier this time, welcoming the burn.

…

Damon sluggishly reached for the bottle of bourbon the bartender had left him and recklessly poured a fifth helping of it into his tumbler. To his disappointment, but not surprise, they didn't have the scotch he usually preferred. He mentally cursed himself for not taking his supply with him the night he left. He wasn't going to dwell on it though, because there was nothing that would bring him back to retrieve it. Everyone in Mystic Falls who would've noticed he was gone was probably still celebrating right now. Stefan and Bonnie would be glad to be rid of him, he knew for sure. But _her_…given how close they'd grown the few weeks before he left, there was a chance, a maybe, that _she_ felt a loss at his absence. Damon then considered how much he'd had to drink, and quickly dismissed the thought as absurd. He'd caused her enough trouble in the past, and she was probably relieved that he'd disappeared without a trace. At the thought, Damon's chest tightened mercilessly, and he quickly downed the contents of his glass. _None of that is supposed to matter anymore_, he reminded himself. _They don't care, so why the hell should you? _But he couldn't help it. Ever since he had admitted to himself what her felt for _her, _he hadn't been able to flip his humanity switch back to where it belonged. It left him in an uncomfortable and vulnerable state, and he was disgusted with himself. He wasn't supposed to care, it wasn't his shtick. That was his brother's job. But now, he felt everything in full force. He found himself constantly wondering if _she _was happy, and if Stefan was keeping her safe. _If he lets something happen to her, I swear to god I'll…_Damon checked himself. It wasn't his place to be concerned with the welfare of _his brother's girlfriend. _

Abandoning the tumbler, Damon grabbed the entire bottle of bourbon and took a hearty swig. Against his will, his mind conjured up the image of _her _face the last time he had seen her; her features were contorted with anger, but her eyes held only hurt. She must've felt betrayed, and the fact that he had taken away her biological mother made her heart twist. The memory of her eyes squeezed at his chest again, and he was suddenly hyper-aware of the wretched sensation that constantly flooded him. His heart had ripped to shreds that night when he was driving away from _her, _from _home,_ and he had been bleeding ever since. Grimacing, he finished off the bottle, slammed it onto the counter, and hung his head, walking out into the snowy night.

…

"About time," Elena murmured. Stefan had just walked in the door, returning from his hunt. "You've been gone for hours. I thought you'd come in when it started snowing."

"Sorry," was all he offered, shrugging out of his coat and hanging it in front of the fire to dry. Elena rolled her eyes. Sometimes he could be such a stick in the mud. _Make that most of the time, _a voice in the back of her mind corrected. She turned to shut the front door, but an idea suddenly occurred to her, and even though it was silly, she thought she might as well give it a try. Ducking down, she gathered snow from the front steps, flinching as it shocked her bare hands with cold. Compressing the fluffy white flakes into a ball, she hid her hand behind her back and quickly shut the door after slipping inside.

"Hey, Stefan?"

"Mhm?" he replied absently, twisting around to look at her. Before he had a chance to react, she flung the snowball at him, biting back a grin as it exploded into powder on impact of hitting his shoulder. He obviously did not see the humor in the situation, however, and sighed tiredly.

"Really, Elena?" he frowned, tilting his head to the side.

Elena inclined her head, narrowing her eyes and clearly disappointed. "Sorry for trying to lighten up the mood. This place is like a tomb. You could try not brooding for once, you know. You might find it a refreshing experience. A little sense of humor wouldn't kill you!"

"Oh, well I'm sorry I can't be like my brother," Stefan retorted.

"No, you really can't, can you?" Elena snapped back, exasperated. Stefan's eyes widened, and clenching his jaw, he turned to leave the room. Elena shook her head.

"Look, I'm sorry. I just get a little stir-crazy when you stay gone for so long, and I'm really tired." She caught up with him, grabbing his arm. Her weary mind wasn't up for a fight at the moment. "I didn't mean it," she assured him, even though she wasn't entirely sure she was telling the truth.

"Don't worry about it." Stefan drew her into a reluctant hug, and she closed her eyes. After a moment, Stefan pulled away, his eyebrows drawing together in concern. "Why do you smell like scotch?" He left out the part about it being _Damon's _scotch; his brother's name had become a sort of taboo word between the two of them as of late.

Elena shifted uncomfortably. "I…was bored, and thirsty. It was close. Is there a problem?" There was no way she was going to tell him the _real _reason she drank it.

"No, no problem. Just seemed a little unlike you, is all." Stefan glanced over her warily.

"Oh." Elena could come up with nothing more to say. "You know, the snow's stopping, and I'm exhausted, so I think I'll drive home now before the weather gets worse."

"Sure, ok. Be careful." Stefan kissed her briefly on the cheek and squeezed her hand before stepping back to get her coat. Elena realized this was all she was going to get from him, so she followed him to the front door, taking her coat from him and bracing herself for the cold.

"See you later." She left it at that, and stepped out into the whiteness, carefully making her way to the car and trying to avoid slipping on ice patches. She quickly cranked the engine, sighing with relief when the heat blasted over her tingling face. She pulled out of the drive way and slowly made her way down the road. As she drove, her mind unintentionally wandered back to what had gone down between her and Stefan. She knew she should feel guilty, wishing Stefan would be more like_ him_. He _turned your biological mother into a vampire, Elena! Why in hell should you want Stefan to be like someone who would do that? _That argument against herself she already knew was futile. She should hate him for taking away her mother, she _knew _she should, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Her mother _didn't want her._ She was practically dead to Elena in the first place. And _he _had only turned her because Isobel had begged him to; it wasn't like he took her life by force merely for his own pleasure. He had been doing her a twisted sort of favor. And no matter how hard she tried, Elena couldn't bring herself to hold it against him.

Elena's car swerved violently, nearly sending her off the road and down a slippery slope. She jerked the steering wheel forcefully to the left, wobbling and bringing her car back on the road just in the nick of time. She shook her head, scolding herself for getting so distracted and not paying attention to the road, especially considering all of the black ice and snow. She jammed her thumb into the radio button, mindlessly listening to overly-synthesized ballads and cheesy rock tunes from the 80's the rest of the drive home.

Once at home, Elena tiredly removed her coat and scarf, hanging them behind the door before lethargically dawdling up the stairs. She closed her bedroom door and fell face forward onto the bed, not bothering to turn on the lights. Sighing into the sheets, she crawled up to her pillow and slipped under the blankets, not caring that she was still fully dressed. She turned her head to stare out the window, watching as the snow began to fall again, the sky growing darker and darker with the fast-coming night. She followed the flurries with her eyes until sleep finally claimed her, whisking her away into a dreamland that she had been making frequent visits to in the past few weeks.

_Elena giggled, grabbing snow from the front lawn of the boarding house and balling it in her gloved hands. Sneaking a little closer to the black-leather covered back of the vampire in front over her, she tossed the snowball at the back of his head. As it hit, he froze, growling and turning slowly to look at her, a gleam in his eye._

_ "Oh, it is _so _on," Damon rumbled, then too quickly for her eyes to follow, he made a snowball of his own and flicked it into her face. Elena gasped, pawing the snow from her face. _

_ "You are _so _going to pay!" She said through clenched teeth, reaching down and grabbing an armful of snow. An amused look spread across Damon's features, and he folded his arms, watching her. She stood up and heaved the snow at his face, grinning wildly. He shook the powdery whiteness from his hair, his expression livid. He tilted his head to the side, glaring at her through narrowed eyes like a provoked bull. Elena's eyes widened, and she turned to flee, struggling to run and kicking up snow as she held on to her knit hat to keep it from slipping off. She hadn't made it ten feet before he snatched her from behind, clutching his arms around her waist and pulling her back. She shrieked in surprise, pulling away from him, only to be slammed back against his chest. "Damon!" she admonished, but he ignored her, not letting her go. He growled playfully into her neck, and she bent over with laughter. He bent with her, his arms still wrapped over her midsection and her shoulder blades brushing his broad chest. Their breath puffed around them, visible in the frigid air. Elena turned her head to the side to look at him; his lips were twisted into something between a smirk and a genuine smile, and his striking blue eyes danced with mischievous light. Caught up in the moment, she smiled back at him. She loved how easy it was to let go and have fun with him. Relishing in the care-freeness of the moment, she leaned over to press her warm lips to his cheek…_

Elena's snapped open before the dream version of herself could complete the gesture, and she bolted upright, glancing around her and half-expecting to be out with _him _in the snow. Her heart dropped to somewhere around her toes when she realized she had been dreaming. _Damn._ It had felt _so_ real. She could almost smell Damon's intoxicating scent around her, almost feel his hands at her waist. She looked outside, barely able to make out the snow, which was now coming down fast and hard, slanting in the wind. She sighed, shaking even though she wasn't cold. She quickly slipped out of the jeans she was still wearing and tossed them to the floor, burrowing deeper under the heavy layers of quilts and blankets. Her head sank into the pillow, but she merely watched the snow, listening to the lonely sound of the howling wind. She didn't close her eyes; she didn't want to fall back asleep. She knew if she fell back asleep, she would dream of _him _again. And the disappointment when she woke up just wasn't worth it.

…

** Yes, I know, nothing terribly exciting or meaningful happened in this chapter, but I needed it here to develop the characters and have it as a foundation for their future actions. I don't want to take it to fast; it needs to be believable (hopefully, anyways). Also, I wasn't entirely sure what season it was around the time of "A Few Good Men," so I just took the liberty and guessed it was around winter, if you're iffy on the snow bit. I hope this chapter didn't let you down! Please make my day and review, it really is the fuel that keeps our pens (keyboards?) at work. And getting a review alert just feels really good :) I love all you guys! So do me a huge favor and leave me a review, even if you hated it! Let me know if there's anything you want me to weave into the story, or what you would really like to see. Over and out! **


	3. Love Left to Lose

**First off, I want to apologize ahead of time if this chapter seems off. I'm still licking my wounds from the shocking end of the season premiere, and have just now gotten my spirits back up enough to write. Which is still painful, by the way, now that we all know that our Delena fan fics are just wishful thinking, instead of hoping. But enough of that. Sorry I'm not able to update this sooner, but I literally have ZERO free time during the week. I panicked when I almost didn't have time to watch the return. Seriously, I barely have enough time to sleep on weeknights. Hope you all can understand. So enough of my ramblings, let's see if I can pull it together and make this a good fan fiction chapter (emphasis on fiction. *sniffles*). If you want to talk more about the show, I'm totally up to it, so just message me. Also, I was totally going to use "Come Home" by onerepublic as the song for this chapter, but turns out they used that song right out from under me in the season premiere (in the scenes that broke hearts of Delena hopefuls around the world). So…guess not. **

**Chapter 3: Love Left to Lose**

…

_Let me know_

_Which side of the fence are you gonna go_

'_Cause I'm breaking down,_

_And I can't live in a house that don't feel like a home_

_I know we got some life that's left_

_And I ain't giving up just yet…_

_Oh, whatcha waiting for?_

_One more step and you're out that door_

_Oh, whatcha waiting for?_

_All we've got is love left to lose_

…

Previously: 

…_Elena's eyes flickered over the labels of each bottle, and she finally came to _his_ favorite scotch; she grasped the neck of the glass bottle before hesitantly raising it to her lips, thinking that somehow tasting the strong drink would make her feel closer to _him_. Closing her eyes, she mentally chided herself for such a ridiculous notion. He was gone. He had left her, and he wasn't going to come back. And there was nothing she could do about it. She hoped the buzz would make the boarding house a little more bearable; it had grown considerably dull and dispirited over the past couple of weeks. It was as if all of the life had been sucked from the air, leaving only a chilling, nagging silence in its wake._

… _The memory of her eyes squeezed at his chest again, and he was suddenly hyper-aware of the wretched sensation that constantly flooded him. His heart had ripped to shreds that night when he was driving away from _her_, from _home_, and he had been bleeding ever since. Grimacing, Damon finished off the bottle, slammed it onto the counter, and hung his head, walking out into the snowy night._

…"_Oh, well I'm sorry I can't be like my brother," Stefan retorted._

"_No, you really can't, can you?" Elena snapped back, exasperated. Stefan's eyes widened, and clenching his jaw, he turned to leave the room. Elena shook her head._

"_Look, I'm sorry. I just get a little stir-crazy when you stay gone for so long, and I'm really tired." She caught up with him, grabbing his arm. Her weary mind wasn't up for a fight at the moment. "I didn't mean it," she assured him, even though she wasn't entirely sure she was telling the truth._

…_Elena didn't close her eyes; she didn't want to fall back asleep. She knew if she fell back asleep, she would dream of _him_ again. And the disappointment when she woke up just wasn't worth it._

…

Elena pushed haphazardly through the bottles on the liquor cart, trying to find another bottle of scotch. Over the past week, she had finished the first bottle off. She hadn't been getting much sleep, so she had to resort to other methods of getting her through the day. _His _favorite alcohol supply seemed to work best, and now that it was gone, she was mildly panicked. She carelessly tossed the empty bottle aside, sinking down to the floor against a column. She ran her fingers through her hair, yawning.

It had been 3 weeks. 3 weeks without a single call or text telling them that he was alright. Elena knew he couldn't be doing well, there was no way. Not after what happened. Stefan hadn't even bothered trying to check up on him, _his own brother, _and he wasn't going to let Elena try either, no matter how much they'd argued about it. And she'd had enough. _There has to be a way to find him without Stefan's help, _she thought determinately. And she was going to be the one to do it. Her mind set, Elena stood up, dusting herself off and heading for the door. She pulled back the heavy front door and strode over the threshold, nearly smacking straight into Stefan.

"Whoa," he stuttered, grasping her shoulders. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

Elena cleared her throat, steeling herself, her jaw set. "I'm going to find him."

Stefan blinked, oblivious. "Find who?"

Elena rolled her eyes. "_Your brother? _You know, the one who ran off in an emotional wreck, the one who we haven't heard from in 3 weeks, _the one you're not bothering to worry about_? Well _someone _needs to find him and make sure he's okay."

"Elena, we've been through this!" Stefan groaned. "This town is better off with him gone. It's safer without him. For the first time since he showed up, this town's seen peace and quiet. It's for the best that he's left!"

"It's amazing how you don't even give a thought to his well-being! After all he's been through, do you honestly think it's best for him to be alone right now? Have you ever thought just maybe even he needs someone to be there for him? Or worse, maybe you _have _thought about it, and just chose to ignore it." An icy silence fell between the two. Stefan avoided Elena's piercing gaze, suddenly very interested in his shoelaces. "Well I don't care what you say anymore, Stefan. I'm going to find him, with or without your help." She tried to push past him, but he stood firm in the doorway, blocking the exit. "Let me go!" she ground out heatedly.

"I can't let you do that, Elena. It's not safe, he isn't stable right now. It won't make a difference to him whether you find him or not. He only cares about himself. Wallowing in his own misery alone for a little while might do him some good." Stefan related grimly.

Elena's eyebrows shot up. "Are you even hearing yourself right now? I can't believe you!" she huffed angrily. "That's it. I'm not dealing with you anymore. I thought you would agree with me on this, help me look even. I was obviously mistaken about you. Now let. Me. Go." Her eyes shot daggers at him through hot unshed tears. Stricken, he stepped through the doorway and past her into the house. She turned to look at him one last time, her expression not softening. Letting out a puff of air, she squared her shoulders and grabbed the old brass doorknob.

"Elena, wait-" Stefan muttered desperately, but she slammed the heavy door with a resolute thud before he could finish his plea.

…

Damon fell back against the picked comforter of the shabby motel room, letting his eyes fall shut against the dark, heavy air. Images instantly began flashing before his eyes, and he scrambled upright, snapping his eyes back open with a jolt. Trying to distract himself, he studied the snow that was beginning to cover the back parking lot again for the umpteenth time in the past few weeks. Winter had set in, and it was here to stay. Unable to help himself, his hand drifted to his shirt pocket, tugging out the now-worn photograph of _her_ that he'd come to memorize. His thumb rubbed across her face, brushing over the gorgeous smile that was unique to her; one that he'd never seen grace the _bitch's _cruel lips. The hand that rested limply against the bed curled into a fist, his knuckles whitening. He shoved the photo back into his pocket, mentally slapping himself for his masochism. _He just missed her so much. _He knew he should get over it, that he'd probably never see her again, and that it was probably for the best. But the hollow feeling in his chest reminded him that this was something that would never heal, even with all the time in the world, which he had. Frowning, he fell back onto the bed, staring at the old popcorn ceiling that obviously hadn't been replaced in a decade or so. But he wouldn't sleep; he couldn't let himself. Dreaming hurt more than staying awake.

…

Elena zipped up her suitcase with some difficulty. Over the past hour, she had been haphazardly throwing some essentials in, packing tons of layers given the near constant flurries the entire east side of the country had been suffering from as of late. She had absolutely no idea where _he _was, and she was hoping he hadn't strayed too far. The whole time she had been packing, she had turned over about a million ideas to try and figure out where he was, but the only one she could think of that would work was the one she was most uncomfortable with. Her only option besides driving blindly around the country was asking Bonnie to do a locator spell, and there were way too many things wrong with that situation to begin with. Bonnie had only gotten back in town a few days ago, and she was still recovering from the death of Grams. Asking her for a spell right now seemed pretty far out of the question, but Elena would be damned if she gave up before she even started. So she scrawled a note to Jenna, explaining she'd be out of town for the week. She knew there'd be hell to pay for that when she returned, but school had been called off for the week due to the weather, so at least she wasn't skipping. Elena tossed her bag into the back of her car after grabbing a few hundreds from the bottom of her dresser drawer, just in case, and slammed the trunk shut. Cranking the engine, she drove down the street toward Bonnie's, praying that everything was going to be okay.

…

"What do you want?"

Elena shrank back, repelled by Bonnie's thinly veiled hostility. "I just wanted to see how you're doing. You've been through a lot. "

"Well spotted, Elena. Let me ask again. What do you want?"

Elena bit her lip, worried at getting off to such a rough start. "Um, is it okay if I come in?"

Bonnie wordlessly stepped aside, opening the door wide enough for Elena to walk in.

"Thanks." Elena sank stiffly onto the couch, uncomfortable with the tension in the air. Bonnie followed her, taking a seat in the arm chair on the other side of the room. "So how was your family? I know it's been tough, and if there's anything you guys need, anything at all, you can just-"

"Just cut to the chase, Elena. You need me to do something. So spill." Bonnie's voice sounded cold and hollow, completely unlike the Bonnie who had left a few weeks ago.

Elena shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, well…I was wondering if you could do a locator spell for me."

The words dangled above their heads in the air for a moment before Bonnie finally responded. "Fine." Elena's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Who are you trying to find?"

Elena debated internally, reasoning that if she said it was Damon, there was no way Bonnie would go through with it. She absolutely loathed lying to her best friend, but given the circumstances…"An old boyfriend of Jenna's. She's been trying to track him down for a while now, but she hasn't been able to get a hold of him. I was thinking maybe you could help me help her out?"

Bonnie eyed her strangely, but nodded. "Sure, ok. Do you have an object?"

"Yeah, I do. Thanks so much for this Bonnie; it really means a lot…" Elena carefully extracted the rosebud that _he _had left her nearly a month ago, which was now dried out and threatening to fall apart, and placed it in Bonnie's open palm. Sighing deeply, Bonnie closed her eyes and began to chant in a language Elena didn't recognize. Her eyes flickered around under her eyelids, and her dark angular brows pulled together in concentration. Recognition began to cross her features, but was quickly replaced with anger. Bonnie's eyes snapped open, flashing furiously at Elena.

"You want to explain to me why that locator spell just showed me _Damon?_" Bonnie spat.

"Really? Where was he?" Elena's face twitched with hope.

"What the hell makes you think I'd tell you? There's no way I'm letting you bring that psychopath back into this town! It's his fault Grams is dead, Elena! No way!"

Elena pinched the bridge of her nose, her eyes squeezing shut in frustration. "Please, Bonnie. No one's heard from him in weeks. I just need to know if he's alright."

"This town, and everyone in it, is better off without him! Including you, Elena." Bonnie glared at her disapprovingly. Elena bowed her head, defeated. Bonnie walked past her, dropping the shriveled rose in her lap. She opened the front door and jerked her head pointedly, and Elena took it as her cue to leave.

Back in the car, Elena leaned her head against the steering wheel, feeling her hope slipping fast. Bonnie _knew _where _he _was. _If only there was a way to get her to tell me, _Elena thought exasperatedly. Then something inside of her clicked. _There _is _a way I can get her to tell me. _Elena felt terrible about having to resort to this, but there was no other option.

"Hey, Jer?"

"Yeah, what is it, Elena?" Jeremy's voice answered tiredly through her Blackberry.

"Could you give me Anna's number?" Elena asked tentatively, tapping her foot against the floorboard and shivering in the cold.

"Fine, what for?"

"Oh, I was just going to ask her about some of her research she's done on the town, you know, since founder's day is coming up? Mr. Saltzman put me on the committee." Elena lied smoothly, surprised and disgusted with herself.

"Um, ok, sure." Jeremy rattled off the digits, then hung up. Elena quickly scribbled the numbers on the back of her hand, and took a deep breath, dialing slowly. It rang three times before Anna picked up.

"Hello?"

"I think you owe me a favor."

…

**Yeah, I know this chapter is short than usual, but we're almost at the reunion! I'm dying to write a good Delena scene, even if it **_**is **_**merely wishful thinking nowadays *hangs head*. But anyways, please please leave me a review of what you think. Say anything, what you love, hate, or wish you could change about my story, this chapter, the show, what-have-you. A review is a review, and they seriously make my day. A huge thanks to those of you who reviewed last time, you're all wonderful! Until next time. **


	4. Far Away

** Time for a road trip, you guys! There's a reunion in the air :) As always, thank you SO MUCH to all of you who have reviewed, I'm astounded my little story is getting such a lovely response. I love you all and wouldn't be here without you, so this one's for you guys. Well, and Damon of course, because he needs a better ending somehow. Off we go!**

**Chapter 4: Far Away **

…

_I love you_

_I've loved you all along_

_And I miss you_

_Been far away for far too long_

_I keep dreaming you'll be with me_

_And you'll never go_

_Stop breathing if _

_I don't see you anymore_

_I wanted_

_I wanted you to stay…_

…_Hold on to me_

_Never let me go_

…

_Previously: _

"_Whoa," Stefan stuttered, grasping her shoulders. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?" _

_ Elena cleared her throat, steeling herself, her jaw set. "I'm going to find him."_

… _Bonnie closed her eyes and began to chant in a language Elena didn't recognize. Her eyes flickered around under her eyelids, and her dark angular brows pulled together in concentration. Recognition began to cross her features, but was quickly replaced with anger. Bonnie's eyes snapped open, flashing furiously at Elena. _

_ "You want to explain to me why that locator spell just showed me Damon?" Bonnie spat._

… _Then something inside of her clicked. There is a way I can get her to tell me. Elena felt terrible about having to resort to this, but there was no other option._

…_It rang three times before Anna picked up._

_ "Hello?"_

_ "I think you owe me a favor."_

…

"What the hell could I possibly do for you, Gilbert?" Anna's voice laughed through the phone's speaker.

"I need you to compel someone for me." Elena replied in a business-like tone.

"Why not just get your boyfriend to do it?"

"Squirrel diet doesn't exactly prove the most effective when it comes to compulsion." Elena sighed, leaning back against the headrest of her car.

"What a guy. So let's say I do this, then we'll be even and you'll leave me alone, right?"

"Even? You've got to be kidding me! You held me hostage and planned on killing my brother! Like hell we'd be even." Elena snapped, livid.

"Whatever. I guess you don't really need me that much. Okay then, well have a nice-"

"Wait." Elena interrupted, grimacing. "Fine. It's a deal." She gave her Bonnie's address and snapped the phone shut, waiting. Less than five minutes later, Anna tapped on the driver's side window impatiently, nearly startling Elena out of her skin. Elena pushed open the car door and climbed out, her breath puffing in the frosty air.

"So what exactly do you want me to say to the witch?"

Elena responded without hesitation. "I need you to get her to tell me where she saw D-Damon when she did the locator spell." Saying _his _name aloud hurt, but it felt good at the same time; she was finally free to talk about him, and she was getting closer to finding him by the second.

"Damon? Why do you want to know where that lovesick moron is? I thought you'd be glad to be rid of him." Elena flinched at Anna's words, but stood her ground.

"I just want to make sure he's okay. When he left, he was in pretty bad shape, and we haven't heard from him since."

Anna lifted an eyebrow. "And your boyfriend is fine with this?"

Elena rolled her eyes. "Never mind that. Let's just do this." Anna shot her a questioning look, but said no more as she followed her up the front porch. Unshakeable resolve forming somewhere deep within her, Elena cleared her throat and rang the doorbell. A moment passed, and the door swung open.

"What are you doing back here, Elena? I'm not going to tell you where he is!" Bonnie's gaze shifted past Elena's shoulder, her eyes narrowing. "And why is _she_-"

Bonnie fell abruptly silent mid-sentence as Anna stepped forward, her pupils expanding and nearly eclipsing her irises. Bonnie's face went blank, all expression leaving her eyes. In an authoritative voice, Anna commanded Bonnie to tell them the exact location that she had seen while performing Damon's locator spell.

"He was at the Super 8 Motel. Asheville, North Carolina," Bonnie informed them in a flat voice.

Anna nodded, then spoke again. "You will go back inside. You will not remember the previous conversation whatsoever." Bonnie, nodded, then disappeared back into her house, slowly shutting the front door. Anna blinked, then turned to Elena. "Piece of cake."

"Thanks." Elena said sincerely, ripping her gaze from Bonnie's front door.

"Later, Gilbert," Anna returned, cocking her head to one side; and then she was gone.

Elena traipsed back to her car, mulling over what had just happened. _Asheville, North Carolina. That's over 450 miles away! _Elena groaned internally. Elena hated driving long distances, and an 8 hour road trip didn't exactly cut it as short to her. It was already getting dark; she wasn't going to make it very far tonight. But _she knew where he was._ She wasn't going to let another 24 hours pass without seeing him. Cranking the engine, she sped out of the driveway and headed for the interstate.

…

Elena had been driving for an hour, paying close attention to the road signs and praying she was going the right way. She was exhausted, though, and could go no further when her vision began to blur. She pulled off at some exit with a sign that read _Strasburg, Virginia: Population 4,017. _After parking, she stumbled into the too-brightly lit lobby of some cheap little hotel and slapped some bills on the counter in exchange for a room. Elena fumbled with the key before finally falling into the room, which was shabby and faded but clean. Not bothering to unpack, she went through her nightly routine on autopilot before tossing on a sweatshirt and lounge pants and crawling into bed. No sooner were her eyes closed, than she dreamed.

_"Damon? Where are you?" Elena called out, her voice echoing off the walls of the cavernous boarding house. She knew he was here, and that he was up to his usual tricks and monkey business by his impromptu game of hide-and-seek. "This isn't funny, Damon! Get down here!" Elena shouted from the foot of the stairs, glancing up in hope of glimpsing him. _

_ "Of course it's funny," a ghostly voice taunted from above. Elena spun, glancing around the ceilings for the wretched vampire._

_ "Grow up, Damon! Where the hell are you?" Elena fumed, her eyes darting around the foyer of the house. _

_ "I'm right here," he whispered from somewhere across the room, deep in the shadows. Elena stomped over to where she thought the voice came from, but found no one. "I told you, Elena, I'm over here!" This time his voice came from the parlor, and Elena ran up the few steps and across the landing, her eyes scanning the room in a frenzied manner. _

_ "Damon, stop it right now or I'll-"_

_ "Elena, I'm right behind you!" His voice teased from very nearby. She whirled, her hair fanning out behind her and eyes flashing, but saw nothing. A light tap fell on her shoulder, and she spun back around, tripping and suddenly finding herself nose-to-nose with the wayward brother himself. She nearly fell into him, and he grabbed her upper arms, steadying her and holding her upright. _

_ "Or you'll what?" Damon whispered, his breath fanning Elena's lips. She felt suddenly weak-kneed, and was grateful that he was supporting her weight at the moment. She blinked furiously, trying to break the spell that his iridescent and impossibly blue eyes cast over her senses. Clearing her throat, she regained her voice and spoke, jerking out of his grasp._

_ "Or I'll just leave," she finished, her voice cracking mid-threat._

_ "Oh, don't be so dramatic. I was just playing with you! Loosen up, Elena. You're getting to be too much like the brooding brother for my taste."_

_ "Whatever, Damon. I'm not in the mood right now," Elena snapped, turning to leave, if somewhat half-heartedly. _

_ "Come on, Elena. I wanted to show you something," Damon said exasperatedly, his hand closing around her wrist to stop her. His hold was unbreakable, and she sighed, twisting back to face him. _

_ "What is it?"_

_ "You'll see," He replied cryptically, leading her outside. She had no choice but to follow him to the front lawn, where he abruptly stopped and released her wrist. The night was chilly, but dry and clear. Winter had finally passed, and the grass was turning green again. Damon sprawled out on his back under the stars, then reached back and tucked his hands behind his head, stretching his limbs. _

_ "Lay down," he told her, patting the lush grass to the right of him. Elena eyed him warily, but complied. _

_ "So what exactly did you want-"Elena didn't finish her question when she caught sight of the sky. It was peppered with more stars than she'd ever seen, all of them winking and twinkling at her brightly. The moon lingered at the edge of her vision, bathing her and Damon in soft light. "Wow," she breathed, shaking her head slightly. "That's really beautiful."_

_ "I always thought so," he remarked, his eyes on her and not the sky. A silent beat passed between them, and he tilted his face back up toward the sky. "I always liked the view from down here on clear nights. We used to have a clearing, back at the old Salvatore manor, when I was a boy. I used to sneak out at night after getting in trouble – which was most nights, I might add – and just spend a while looking at the stars. It was a nice…distraction."_

_ Elena bit back a grin. She loved this side of Damon; he was reminiscent and sentimental, yet strong – he was always strong. Hesitantly, she shifted toward him, resting her head on his outstretched arm and curling into his side, where the warmth was. Smiling against the fabric of his shirt, she whispered to him._

_ "I love it. Thank for bringing me out here…" she trailed off into silence as she felt him bend his neck to kiss the top of her head. She tilted her face up to meet his, warm and enveloped in his enthralling scent and losing herself in his eyes. They were raw, stripped of all their usual mocking and sarcasm, and she unconsciously inched her lips closer to his, their breaths mingling, until- _

Elena snapped awake, then immediately shut her eyes against the white light streaming from behind the threadbare curtains. She bolted upright, breathing heavily and half-expecting to be lying in the grass in front of the boarding house. Uninhibited disappointment flooded her, and she hung her head, her tangled hair clinging to her damp neck. She bit her lip and glanced at the clock: _10:14 a.m. _She hadn't slept this long in weeks, and she had lost more time than she expected to. She padded over to the window and drew aside one curtain, looking out over the parking lot. Light snow had begun to fall again. _Perfect. _At least it wasn't sticking to the ground. Letting the curtain fall back in place, Elena headed into the bathroom and turned on the water in the shower. She washed efficiently, not eager to drive again but not wanting to waste any more time. She let her hair air-dry into its natural unruly waves as she dressed and packed her things. By the time she ate a quick breakfast and checked out, it was 11 a.m. and the snow had stopped. She bundled up in a heavy sweater and bowed her head against the cold air as she hurried to her car, immediately cranking up the heat. She studied the map as her car warmed up, and determined that she had about 7 more hours to go until she reached Asheville. Until she reached _him. _

Her mind didn't get much of a chance to wander as she drove; she had to pay extremely close attention to the road, thanks to the abundance of black ice. So she drove on, and the miles seemed to grow longer by the hour. It didn't even occur to her to stop for food, and she sped up a little when she noticed the sun setting. She hated driving in unknown territory in the dark, and the weather made it that much worse. The darker the sky got, the more ominous and looming the tall blue mountains looked. The snow picked up again, and Elena groaned. Dark, icy, and low visibility were the worst possible combination. She nearly threw her arms up in celebration when she passed the green sign that told her she was two miles away from her destination. Her body was screaming at her, throbbing with the anticipation that she was about to find _him._ To finally see his face again. Elena laughed aloud in triumph, hardly believing she was here. She made the mistake of taking her eyes off the road to look at the glow of the small-town lights, and before she realized what was happening, her car swerved sharply to the right, skidding and sliding across unseen ice. Elena shrieked, jerking at the steering wheel desperately, but it did no good. The car plunged front-end first over the embankment and down into the ditch with a crunching noise. Elena opened her eyes, shaking with shock but noting that the car had mercifully remained upright this time around.

_Not again, _she groaned internally, yanking out of her seat-belt and pushing past the airbag to get out of the car. The roads were virtually empty, thanks to the weather, and there was no way she could recover the car on her own. She kicked the tire angrily before climbing out of the ditch, slipping and sliding up the frozen ground. She trudged along the edge of the road, grateful that she was less than two miles away from where she was headed. Because _god, _it was_ cold. _Elena tugged her sweater more tightly around her, shivering against the snowy wind. By the time she turned the corner and saw the first gas station at the edge of the town, she could no longer feel her fingers, toes, ears, and other varying appendages. Her heart leapt at the sight of the Super 8, the one Bonnie had spoken of from the locator spell. She quickened her pace, exhaling a deep sigh of relief as she was hit by a wave of heat while passing through the revolving doors. She confidently strode over to the front desk, ringing the bell. A thin, tired-looking woman that looked to be in her early forties approached, giving Elena an inquisitive look.

"How can I help you?"

"Um, could you please tell me what room Damon Salvatore is staying in? I was supposed to meet him here?"

The woman nodded before typing the name into the system, clicking a few times and shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, but we have no record of a Mr. Salvatore here. Perhaps there's been a mistake."

Elena's face fell, and she grimaced in frustration. _Damn. He must've compelled them to just give him a room. _Elena shook her head and thanked the woman before reluctantly heading back out into the cold night, which, unlike her dream, was cloudy and completely lacked stars. She plodded down the empty sidewalks and scanned the streets for her most-likely option: a bar.

As she walked, her mind wandered back to what Damon had said about Stefan and Katherine when she first met him: _"It nearly destroyed him." _ _Not nearly as much as it destroyed you, _Elena thought morosely to herself as she glanced about in hope of seeing Damon's old blue chevy. She just hoped she could put him back together, before it was too late. Finally, miraculously, as Elena was nearing the end of the main stretch and had lost all feeling below her knees and in her hands, She spotted the old blue camaro parked near the back of an old-but-decent-looking bar that thankfully wasn't very crowded. Elena sighed with relief and glanced towards the heavens with a grin before darting across the street. Pausing at the front entrance, she drew a deep breath, bracing herself before yanking open the heavy door. She stepped into the warm air of the bar and was greeted with the pungent scent of various liquors. She dragged her eyes slowly down the length of the bar near the back, stopping on the back of a well-made black leather jacket. The man had dark, silky hair that was slightly mussed, and he tilted his head back to down a shot of something. _It was him. She knew it was. _Her heart pounded madly in her chest, her palms clammy despite their already frozen state. She started across the room, pushing past any people or furniture that got in her way. Her heart slammed against her chest, and the beat was the only sound that filled her ears. When she was five feet away from him, the black jacket twisted, and he stepped down from his seat, turning slowly to face her. The sight of his blue eyes staring at her in wonder and disbelief sent shockwaves through her, and she almost missed her name spoken from his full, flushed lips.

"Elena?"

…

**Together at last! I'm really looking forward to writing more with this story, there are so many possibilities now that our two favorite people are back together (And Elena can't leave, she has no car). I really wish I could've put more here, but I felt this chapter had dragged on long enough. Please continue to be the most amazing readers ever and leave me a review to let me know what you think. I hope I didn't bore you too long! Lots of Love, until next chapter ;)**


	5. As Loud as My Heart

** Hey everyone! Wow, I must say I'm truly shocked at the spectacular response my last chapter got. I could hardly believe my eyes! I'm really flattered and eternally grateful for all of the lovely encouraging comments you all leave, I really couldn't ask for better reviews. On the other hand, I'm starting to wonder if the writers are capable of letting Damon get through an episode unscathed this season. It appears not, so far. At the end of this week's episode, my heart broke for Damon. Again. Elena was pretty cold, I was a bit disappointed in how harsh her words and actions were this time around. However, I'm hoping the future has more promise. The promo clips for next week look pretty amazing, but I won't dare get my hopes up. I doubt Elena will be warming up to our favorite brother anytime soon *grumbles unhappily* Hopefully this chapter will make up just a tiny bit for the painful deficit of real Delena scenes? Enough of my dissatisfied rambling. Off we go.**

**Chapter 5: As Loud as My Heart**

…

_Come up to meet you_

_Tell you I'm sorry_

_You don't know how lovely you are_

_I had to find you_

_Tell you I need you_

_Tell you I set you apart_

_Tell me your secrets_

_Ask me your questions_

_Oh, let's go back to the start…_

…_Nobody said it was easy_

_No one ever said it would be this hard_

_Oh take me back to the start_

…

_Previously:_

…"_He was at the Super 8 Motel. Asheville, North Carolina," Bonnie informed them in a flat voice, the compulsion speaking for her. _

…_. Dark, icy, and low visibility were the worst possible combination. She nearly threw her arms up in celebration when she passed the green sign that told her she was two miles away from her destination._

… _before she realized what was happening, her car swerved sharply to the right, skidding and sliding across unseen ice. Elena shrieked, jerking at the steering wheel desperately, but it did no good. The car plunged front-end first over the embankment and down into the ditch with a crunching noise. Elena opened her eyes, shaking with shock but noting that the car had mercifully remained upright this time around. _

…_. She trudged along the edge of the road, grateful that she was less than two miles away from where she was headed. Because god, it was cold. Elena tugged her sweater more tightly around her, shivering against the snowy wind. By the time she turned the corner and saw the first gas station at the edge of the town, she could no longer feel her fingers, toes, ears, and other varying appendages._

… _She plodded down the empty sidewalks and scanned the streets for her most-likely option: a bar._

… _The man had dark, silky hair that was slightly mussed, and he tilted his head back to down a shot of something._ It was him. She knew it was.

… _When she was five feet away from him, the black jacket twisted, and he stepped down from his seat, turning slowly to face her. The sight of his blue eyes staring at her in wonder and disbelief sent shockwaves through her, and she almost missed her name spoken from his full, flushed lips._

_ "Elena?" _

…

The rest of the world fell away as Damon stared at the girl in front of him, the girl from the picture that had become a part of him over the past few weeks. Her chocolate brown eyes were dancing above pink, wind burned cheeks and a full trembling mouth. Her dark brown hair fell in tousled waves over her shoulders, which were hunched and shivering from cold.

"Elena?" he repeated, still not believing his eyes. _And he hadn't even had that much to drink yet. _

"Yes, it's me, who else would it be?" She snapped, and Damon's face contorted in pain at her words. Thoughts of Elena's doppelganger flew across her mind, and she winced, suddenly wanting to eat her words. But now that she had finally found _him_, she was mad. Really mad. "High time I found you! Did you really think that you could just up and leave, without saying goodbye to anyone? Did you think that no one would worry about you, constantly wonder if something had happened to you? That I wouldn't miss you, every single day that you were gone?" She huffed angrily, trying to catch breath in her freezing lungs. "So I leave my family and betray my best friend just to find out where you are, and I drive 450 miles in freezing weather and wreck my car and walk the rest of the way here just to make sure you were alright and all you can say is 'Elena?' What an amazing feat, especially considering you never shut up!" Elena stepped a little closer to him, fixing him under an unwavering glare. Damon returned the look, an unreadable expression in his eyes. His gaze suddenly flickered downward, studying something intently.

"Your hands are blue." Embarrassed, Elena quickly stole a glance at her fingers, which were indeed blue and still numb. She was still _so cold. _

"Like I said, I wrecked my car _again _– don't you even _think _about saying a word – about two or three miles down the road, so I had no choice but to walk down here, and it was snowing again and-" Her voice cracked, breaking off. She had been through a lot, and she was exhausted, and her freezing body was begging her to go to sleep, and she just couldn't hold it together any longer. Her lower lip trembled, and Damon stepped forward tentatively, closing the distance between them. All it took was one look at her quivering lashes for him to wrap his arms around her, pulling her to him tightly. Her tiny form shuddered at the sudden warmth, then almost immediately relaxed, slumping against him. He kissed the top of her head, chafing his hands up and down her upper arms. After a long, blissful, surreal moment, he pulled back, only to reach down and grab her hands, folding them inside his and drawing them up to his lips. He exhaled a long, hot breath over them and twined his strong fingers in between hers.

"Let's get you something to drink," He said in a soothing tone, settling her on a barstool next to him. He sank down beside her, keeping an arm over her cold, thin shoulders. He motioned to the bartender. "I'll have another round of this," he ordered, twisting his glass in the air, "And bring something over for the lady." He tilted his head toward Elena, and the bartender nodded, turning away from them.

"Wait," Elena spoke up, her voice still a little shaky and hoarse from the cold. "I'll just have what he's having." She jerked a thumb in Damon's direction. The bartender raised his eyebrows, but shrugged and nodded. Damon frowned.

"Since when do you drink scotch?" He asked, lifting one eyebrow in concern.

"Since sober wasn't enough to get me through the day anymore," she replied wryly.

"And when did that start?"

"About 3 weeks ago," she said pointedly. Damon dropped his gaze. He never would've believed she would actually miss him, especially not enough to leave his saintly brother, who he doubted had approved of her little road trip. He watched her with some alarm as she raised her glass to her lips and swallowed the amber liquid without so much as a shudder. He never would've imagined she'd be much of a drinker. _What the hell had _happened _to her?_

"So how exactly did you find me?" Damon inquired, changing the subject. He was eager to hear her explanation; he knew it couldn't have been easy. She eyed him with consideration, then took another swallow of scotch before clearing her throat to speak.

"I got Bonnie to do a locator spell. Of course, as soon as she found out it was you I was looking for, she refused to tell me where you were. I wasn't going to give up that easily, so as much as I hate breaking her trust, I got Anna to compel her into telling me.

"I loaded up and hit the road last night, but I didn't make it too far, so I spent the night in some little old town and got up this morning to drive the rest of the way. So I drove…and drove…and I finally made it within a couple of miles of here only to skid over some black ice and crash into the ditch. I had no choice but to leave my stuff and walk into town. The rest is history." She finished, polishing off her scotch with a hearty swig.

Damon was impressed. He knew Elena was brave, but he never would've guessed she would go to _that _much trouble to get to him. It was definitely more than the twin bitch had ever done, and he was heartened by the gesture.

"I gotta hand it to you, Elena. Pretty gutsy move. I didn't know you had it in you," he teased, nudging her shoulder with his. She rolled her eyes at him in derision, and he couldn't help but notice the dark purplish rings beneath them. She was exhausted. "You look tired."

"Well of course I'm tired, Damon. Anyone would be after driving all day and then hiking in freezing weather along the highway. And it's not like I've been sleeping well in the first place," she snapped half-heartedly, hugging her arms to herself. _So she's been losing sleep too. What was that about? _Damon eyed her suspiciously. The very fact that she was sitting here beside him and not back in the boarding house cuddling with his brother was evidence that all was not well in her love life at the moment. He quirked an eyebrow, one corner of his mouth turning down.

"So what did dear Stefan say about this little excursion of yours?"

Elena bit her lip. "I don't know. I left before he had a chance to. He didn't want me to see you, but he has no idea where I am, so there's nothing he can do about it." Her voice hardened a little, edged with defiance. _No, things were definitely not peachy between the lovebirds at the moment. _Elena sighed deeply, propping up an elbow on the counter and resting her chin in her hand. She looked a little worse for wear; Damon was still struggling to wrap his mind around why she had gone to so much trouble just to find him. That she had actually missed him._ That maybe someone actually cared, _he even dared to think. He wanted to keep talking, say anything to her, hold on to the fact that she was here and real.

"Why did you come here? To me," Damon asked quietly, his eyes downcast to his empty glass.

Elena cast a sorrowful sideways glance in his direction. "No one needs to always be alone. And you seemed like a … a pretty lost person right now. "

Damon's brows drew together. "Takes one to know one." He looked up at her, his head tilted to one side and eyes squinting into a gaze muddled and raging with pain and loss, regret and heartbreak. The brokenness in his eyes pierced through Elena's heart, bothering her far more than the truth in his words. She looked away, her breath hitching in her throat. She never wanted to see that look in his beautiful eyes again. It was too much. On top of that, she knew he was right. When he was gone, she had felt inexplicably lost. There was no acceptable excuse for that feeling; she knew she shouldn't care so much about her _boyfriend's brother._ But she was speaking from the heart before. She and Damon _did _have something; _did _have an understanding. When he disappeared, he had left a gaping hole in his wake, shaking her life up. Now that she was with him, she was exhausted, freezing, and completely worn out, but she felt _better; _She felt _right. _Even if it was so wrong.

The bar was clearing out, and Elena was nearly dead on her feet. Slapping down a few bills, Damon wrapped a hand around Elena's upper arm and stood up, leaning to whisper in her ear. "Let's go now, okay? You're still freezing and you look like hell." Elena's eyes clashed with his spitefully, but she couldn't find the energy to chide him for the rude comment. She stumbled into a standing position and dragged her feet alongside Damon as he led her out of the bar. Before he opened the door to the cold blast of air, he shrugged out of his own jacket and wrapped it around her. She clutched it tightly to her shoulders as she followed him to his car. He opened the passenger door for her, and she fell into the leather seat before he carefully shut it behind her. He was at the driver's side in the blink of an eye, hurrying to start the car and get the hot air circulating. He was worried that Elena was frostbitten, and he wasn't going to let her freeze a second longer. _Goddamnit, she'd walked down a highway, risking so much just to make sure _he _was okay. _He wasn't going to let anything harm so much as a single hair on her head, now that she was with him. He wasn't going to lose the one person who cared, not this time. This time, he knew it was real.

Damon pulled into the parking lot of the shoddy motel he was staying in. It had sufficed for him, but it wasn't good enough for Elena. Tomorrow he would move them to somewhere a bit swankier. He looked over to Elena to see that she had fallen into a deep sleep, breathing evenly against the window, her head lolled back. Not wanting to wake her, he flitted around to her side of the car and quietly opened the door, carefully scooping her up and hoisting her into his arms. She didn't stir, and her head slumped against his shoulder, her forehead leaning against his neck. He carried her up to the room, swiftly unlocking the door and kicking it open. Damon gently shifted her from his arms to the bed, watching her curl up unconsciously in her sleep. He pulled the blankets up to her chin and grabbed an extra one from the shelf in the narrow closet, spreading it over her. Once he was convinced she was comfortable, he stripped down to his boxers and exchanged his button-down for a black cotton v-neck and settled onto the couch. The quiet rhythm of her heartbeat lulled him into a drowsy state, and he was almost asleep when he heard a rustling noise in the direction of the bed, followed by a soft groan.

"Damon." He jerked upright, looking in her direction easily through the dark. She sounded awake, and he walked hurriedly to her side. "Damon," she spoke again, softer this time, and mumbled something incoherently. _She was still asleep. _"…needed to find you…_had _to find you…gone too long…" He was able to distinguish those few words as she sleep-talked, rolling over restlessly. He sat down on the edge of the bed, twisting to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear. At his touch, her eyes flickered open. "You left me!" she spoke in a distressed voice, one arm snaking out from the covers and clutching his wrist.

"Shh, I'm here now, it's alright." He whispered in a husky tone, brushing along her hairline with his fingertips in a soothing motion. Her eyes slowly drifted shut, her grip on his arm loosening as she sank back into unconsciousness. He slowly stood up to return to the couch, but as he turned away, fingers closed around his arm once more.

"Don't leave me," she whispered, sounding like a child afraid of the dark, her eyes still closed. The waver in her small voice tugged at something inside of him, and he tugged back the covers, cautiously climbing into bed next to her. When his arm went around her shoulders, she drew herself toward him, pressing her cool face into his neck. Her breathing sank back into a normal pattern and the tension left her muscles as she relaxed into him, falling back into a peaceful sleep. Damon grimaced as the realization hit him. She had been drinking because of _him. _She had suffered through 3 weeks of sleepless nights, just as he had, _because he left her. _He was just now understanding that maybe he was more important to her than he gave himself credit for. He couldn't understand _why_, exactly, he just felt that he _was_. And he was the source of her misery.

"I'm sorry, Elena," he whispered almost inaudibly into her hair. He pressed his lips lightly against her temple, lingering there as he drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep, the first since he'd been away from her.

**...**

_I had to find you_

_Tell you I need you_

_Tell you I set you apart_

_Nobody said it was easy_

_No one ever said it would be this hard…_

_Oh, take me back to the start_

…

** Oh, dear, I'm afraid I got a little OOC with a hearty dash of angsty there. That's what I get for neglecting my caffeine today :-/ Sorry if this didn't feel right to you, I'm trying my best. And right now, pretty much anything Delena is OOC, considering the current state (or should I say lack thereof) of Damon and Elena's relationship right now. Even though said vampire happened to jump in front of an arrow and sincerely apologize to said human. *sniff* Well love it or hate it, please continue to be the best readers ever and drop me a line or two! Reviews really keep me going throughout the week. I love you all. Until next chapter!**


	6. Learning to Breathe

** First off, I would like to apologize profusely for not updating in two weeks. I'm SO sorry, and I won't let it happen again. Last week the deadlines had me at no sleep for almost 48 hours it was so bad, and this past week I was out of the country on a business trip. I won't be offended at all if you're upset with me. Secondly, what are you guys thinking about the show? I'm on the fence. I love it but its killing me. The flashback episode with Damon and Elena playing pool in the dream was so cute and sweet. And in the most recent episode, that little sliver of a scene with Damon and Elena at the end gave me a tentative ounce of hope. Anywho, since I've been gone so long, I'll write out a full recap in case you've forgotten what's happened (I know I would have). **

**Chapter 6: Learning to Breathe**

…

_I'm learning to breathe_

_I'm learning to crawl_

_I'm finding that you and you alone_

_Can break my fall_

_I'm living again_

_Awake and alive_

_I'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies_

_So this is the way_

_That I say I need you_

_This is the way_

_That I say I love you_

_This is the way_

_That I say I'm yours_

…

_Previously:_

…"_Her name was Isobel," Elena related to him coldly, her voice threatening to tremble._

_ Shit. Damon couldn't form a coherent thought other than that, and his stomach dropped. His emotions were already in shambles, and finding out that he had taken away the birth mother of the only human he cared about was the _

_straw that just might break this camel's back._

… _No one wanted him. There was no reason to stay. Something tugged at him, telling him that there was one reason to stay, but Damon pushed it away, knowing that that one reason didn't want him to. Especially not after tonight._

… _Damon realized that the real reason he left was because he was afraid he would hurt someone else connected to Elena if he stayed any longer. _God, this girl would kill him,_ he thought, pounding a fist against the steering wheel. He felt his already battered and bleeding heart rip wide open, aching down to the very core of his soul. Once outside the city limits, his vision blurred, Damon veered over to the shoulder and shut off the engine, leaning against the steering wheel and burying his face in his hands. _

…"_Damon's gone." Stefan admitted gravely. _

_ Elena felt her heart drop. "'Gone'? What do you mean, 'gone'?"_

…_Elena's eyes flickered over the labels of each bottle, and she finally came to _his_ favorite scotch; she grasped the neck of the glass bottle before hesitantly raising it to her lips, thinking that somehow tasting the strong drink would make her feel closer to _him_. Closing her eyes, she mentally chided herself for such a ridiculous notion. He was gone. He had left her, and he wasn't going to come back. And there was nothing she could do about it. She hoped the buzz would make the boarding house a little more bearable; it had grown considerably dull and dispirited over the past couple of weeks. It was as if all of the life had been sucked from the air, leaving only a chilling, nagging silence in its wake._

… _The memory of her eyes squeezed at his chest again, and he was suddenly hyper-aware of the wretched sensation that constantly flooded him. His heart had ripped to shreds that night when he was driving away from _her_, from _home_, and he had been bleeding ever since. Grimacing, Damon finished off the bottle, slammed it onto the counter, and hung his head, walking out into the snowy night._

…"_Oh, well I'm sorry I can't be like my brother," Stefan retorted._

"_No, you really can't, can you?" Elena snapped back, exasperated. Stefan's eyes widened, and clenching his jaw, he turned to leave the room. Elena shook her head._

"_Look, I'm sorry. I just get a little stir-crazy when you stay gone for so long, and I'm really tired." She caught up with him, grabbing his arm. Her weary mind wasn't up for a fight at the moment. "I didn't mean it," she assured him, even though she wasn't entirely sure she was telling the truth._

…_Elena didn't close her eyes; she didn't want to fall back asleep. She knew if she fell back asleep, she would dream of _him_ again. And the disappointment when she woke up just wasn't worth it._

"_Whoa," Stefan stuttered, grasping her shoulders. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?" _

_ Elena cleared her throat, steeling herself, her jaw set. "I'm going to find him."_

… _Bonnie closed her eyes and began to chant in a language Elena didn't recognize. Her eyes flickered around under her eyelids, and her dark angular brows pulled together in concentration. Recognition began to cross her features, but was quickly replaced with anger. Bonnie's eyes snapped open, flashing furiously at Elena. _

_ "You want to explain to me why that locator spell just showed me Damon?" Bonnie spat._

… _Then something inside of her clicked. There is a way I can get Bonnie to tell me where he is. Elena felt terrible about having to resort to this, but there was no other option._

…_It rang three times before Anna picked up._

_ "Hello?"_

_ "I think you owe me a favor."_

…"_He was at the Super 8 Motel. Asheville, North Carolina," Bonnie informed them in a flat voice, the compulsion speaking for her. _

…_. Dark, icy, and low visibility were the worst possible combination. She nearly threw her arms up in celebration when she passed the green sign that told her she was two miles away from her destination._

… _before she realized what was happening, her car swerved sharply to the right, skidding and sliding across unseen ice. Elena shrieked, jerking at the steering wheel desperately, but it did no good. The car plunged front-end first over the embankment and down into the ditch with a crunching noise. Elena opened her eyes, shaking with shock but noting that the car had mercifully remained upright this time around. _

…_. She trudged along the edge of the road, grateful that she was less than two miles away from where she was headed. Because god, it was cold. Elena tugged her sweater more tightly around her, shivering against the snowy wind. By the time she turned the corner and saw the first gas station at the edge of the town, she could no longer feel her fingers, toes, ears, and other varying appendages._

… _She plodded down the empty sidewalks and scanned the streets for her most-likely option: a bar._

… _The man had dark, silky hair that was slightly mussed, and he tilted his head back to down a shot of something._ It was him. She knew it was.

… _When she was five feet away from him, the black jacket twisted, and he stepped down from his seat, turning slowly to face her. The sight of his blue eyes staring at her in wonder and disbelief sent shockwaves through her, and she almost missed her name spoken from his full, flushed lips._

_ "Elena?" _

… _The rest of the world fell away as Damon stared at the girl in front of him, the girl from the picture that had become a part of him over the past few weeks. Her chocolate brown eyes were dancing above pink, wind burned cheeks and a full trembling mouth. Her dark brown hair fell in tousled waves over her shoulders, which were hunched and shivering from cold. _

_ "Elena?" he repeated, still not believing his eyes._

…"_Why did you come here? To me," Damon asked quietly, his eyes downcast to his empty glass._

_ Elena cast a sorrowful sideways glance in his direction. "No one needs to always be alone. And you seemed like a … a pretty lost person right now. " _

_ Damon's brows drew together. "Takes one to know one." He looked up at her, his head tilted to one side and eyes squinting into a gaze muddled and raging with pain and loss, regret and heartbreak. The brokenness in his eyes pierced through Elena's heart, bothering her far more than the truth in his words._

… _Damon pulled into the parking lot of the shoddy motel he was staying in. It had sufficed for him, but it wasn't good enough for Elena. Tomorrow he would move them to somewhere a bit swankier._

…_ "Don't leave me," she whispered, sounding like a child afraid of the dark, her eyes still closed. The waver in her small voice tugged at something inside of him, and he tugged back the covers, cautiously climbing into bed next to her. When his arm went around her shoulders, she drew herself toward him, pressing her cool face into his neck. Her breathing sank back into a normal pattern and the tension left her muscles as she relaxed into him, falling back into a peaceful sleep. Damon grimaced as the realization hit him. She had been drinking because of him. She had suffered through 3 weeks of sleepless nights, just as he had, because he left her. He was just now understanding that maybe he was more important to her than he gave himself credit for. He couldn't understand why, exactly, he just felt that he was. And he was the source of her misery. _

_ "I'm sorry, Elena," he whispered almost inaudibly into her hair. He pressed his lips lightly against her temple, lingering there as he drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep, the first since he'd been away from her. _

…

Elena's eyes fluttered open to be filled with the sight of piercing ice-blue eyes fringed with thick black lashes, studying her intently. She scrunched her eyes shut again, disoriented, and burrowed deeper under the warm blankets. Suddenly, her memories of the night before came flooding back, and she wrenched her eyes back open to peek over the covers, looking for his eyes again. He was standing across the room from her now, but still studying her. As always, he was dressed sharply in a black button-down and dark rinse jeans. She glanced down to the foot of the bed to discover a red sweater and some dark skinny jeans that had been laid out. Clothes that were definitely not hers.

"Where'd those come from?" She questioned, her voice thick with sleep.

Damon crossed his arms. "The shop down the street. I guessed your size; I figured you'd want something fresh to wear today." Elena's eyebrows drew together in confusion. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news on this fine morning, Elena, but when I woke up this morning I went down the road to get your stuff and check things out, your car was gone."

"Gone?" she repeated flatly, her eyes widening. He nodded curtly.

"Probably stolen. I looked around town for it, but I didn't see it."

Elena threw her hands up in the air. "Perfect," she muttered, falling back into the pillow. "I'm _so _dead."

"I'm pretty sure that's me, Elena, considering…" Damon quipped, smirking. Elena rolled her eyes, then took a deep breath and threw off the covers. She slid off the bed and gathered the clothes he had gotten her, which were actually the perfect size. _Of course._ She was dying to get cleaned up, and she silently made her way to the tidy, if small, bathroom. As she passed Damon, he grabbed her hand. She turned, caught off guard, her eyebrows lifted in surprise. He lifted her hand near his face, flipping her palm upward to examine it before letting it fall back to her side.

"Just making sure you weren't frostbitten," he shrugged casually. His eyes didn't leave her, even after he finished speaking. Elena felt strange under his gaze, but wasn't sure how to look away. She swallowed audibly before turning around and disappearing into the bathroom. Damon reclined on the bed to wait as he heard the shower turn on; the spot she had recently abandoned was still warm and it smelled deliciously like her. He still couldn't believe she was here, in a tiny little town almost 500 miles from home, just to be with him. To save him from being lonely. Hell, she seemed more than a little down herself when she walked into the bar last night, and from what he gathered, it was pretty much all his fault. He never would've guessed it would disturb her so much if he left. He'd be damned if he let her go on like this for a moment longer; he was going to give her a good time today. Just she and him.

The bathroom door creaked open and she appeared, hair damp and tousled and face flushed from the hot water. Her makeup had been stolen with her car, and she was wearing none, but she was still about the most beautiful thing Damon had ever seen. He stared for a moment before composing himself, springing lithely from the bed and clasping his hands together.

"Well, off we go then," he declared, swinging the door open and motioning for her to exit.

"Where are we going, Damon?" she asked tiredly, her voice laden with exasperation.

Damon held up his hands in surrender. "Fine then! If you don't want breakfast, I guess we can just sit here and stare at each other like fools all morning." _He wasn't entirely sure he would mind that, to be honest. _

Elena's eyes narrowed, then rolled. "Alright, let's go then! I'm starving." She walked past him, grabbing his jacket sleeve and tugging him out the door. He chuckled, obliging her. They were greeted by light snow tumbling around in gusts of wind. Elena gasped, bowing her head against the oncoming blast, her hair whipping around her. Damon wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him as they hurried to the car; she didn't push away.

Fifteen minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot of a quaint little diner on the outskirts of town. It wasn't very crowded, but seemed well-kept. Settling across from Damon into a booth, Elena scanned the menu, crossing her legs under the table. Her foot accidentally grazed his knee, and she pulled back quickly, as if electrocuted.

"Sorry," she muttered, biting her lip. Damon grinned wolfishly. A waitress appeared to take their order, glancing at Elena.

"I'll have a stack of pancakes with whipped cream and strawberries, two eggs, scrambled, hash browns, bacon...oh, and some cinnamon apples. With a glass of orange juice, please." Damon raised a single eyebrow, his lips quirking. "What?" Elena asked impatiently.

"Nothing, nothing at all," He answered, swallowing back his surprise. "You obviously weren't kidding when you said you were starving." The waitress nodded toward him, but he waved his hand dismissively. "Nothing for me, thanks." Elena folded her menu and handed it to the waitress, who returned to the kitchen with an amused look. Elena rested her chin on her hand, watching the snow fall.

"So why did you pick here? It's so off the beaten path," she suddenly spoke up, still staring out the window.

A moment or two passed before he answered. "I don't really know. I guess that's one of the reasons why I like it. It's secluded, and quiet, and _usually _no one can find me here," he explained with a pointed nod in her direction.

"But there can't be much to do around here," she pointed out.

"That's where you're wrong. Someone didn't do their research," he reproached, shaking his head. "There's a great winery a few miles from here."

Elena snorted. "Of course. Alcohol. Why didn't I think of that."

Her food arrived then, and she snatched up her fork and tucked in. Damon merely watched with a faintly amused expression on his face. Mid-bite, Elena realized his eyes were on her, and she blushed, swallowing slowly and daintily taking a sip of orange juice.

"Don't be embarrassed, Elena. I like a girl who can eat," he assured her, snatching a piece of bacon and popping it into his mouth. She slapped his hand away from her plate, eyeing him menacingly. Damon laughed, a genuine laugh, for what had to be the first time in months.

…

"So where are we headed?" Elena asked eagerly, settling into the passenger seat of the old blue chevy. Her mood had lifted considerably over the past few hours; being around Damon just did that to her. And it was incredibly unsettling.

"You'll find out when we get there," he teased, flashing a trademark smirk in her direction. His heart felt so much lighter with her here. It didn't hurt to live as much as usual.

Elena pouted. She hated being out of the loop, and she hated when Damon patronized her. But she was happy to see him a little less gloom-and-doom than he was last night, so she didn't push the matter.

"Come on, Elena. There's only one tourist attraction in this entire town. You should know this." Elena shook her head, nonplussed. "It's almost as old as I am." Elena was silent, not even bothering to take a shot in the dark.

Damon shook his head. "Schools these days. All they teach you is emergency evacuation drills and how to get knocked up."

"Pretty much," Elena agreed wryly.

Damon suddenly took a sharp right turn, pulling into the parking lot of a coat shop. He turned off the engine and gestured for Elena to get out.

"It doesn't look like the snow's going to let up, so I figured we might as well get you a coat before you nearly freeze to death again."

He opened the door for her and she hastened over the threshold, welcoming the gush of hot air that enveloped her upon entering. She flipped through the racks before settling on a charcoal pea coat and a black scarf. As she made her way to the register, she passed a stand of knit hats. A burgundy-colored one near the top caught her eye, triggering a memory. She closed her eyes, vivid images from her dream of her and Damon playing in the snow flashing through her mind. The dream that she had wished countless times to be real. Her browed furrowed unconsciously, a small frown gracing her lips. A touch on her shoulder hurled her back into reality.

"Elena? Is something wrong?" Damon's concerned voice sounded far away in her ears.

"I'm fine. Just thinking about nothing." She plucked the hat from the stand and added it to her selections, placing them on the counter at the register. It suddenly hit her that her purse was still in her car. Which had been stolen. _Shit. _"Uh…"

Damon reached across her and handed the cashier a small silver card.

"Don't worry about it," he assured her with a nod.

"Thanks," Elena offered a small smile. _He's generous, I'll give him that. _

They returned to the car and rode in silence for ten minutes or so before Damon turned onto a secluded road that wound into the woods.

"Where on earth are we?" Elena asked, about to die of curiosity.

"Patience, young grasshopper," Damon shot back in an infuriating tone. He pulled the car up to an impressively tall pair of wrought iron gates, gilded with an ornate "V" in the center. Elena craned her neck to look past the gate, and spotting something in the distance, her jaw dropped.

…

**I'm being terrible, I know. The actual chapter was quite short and not very meaty at all. I just felt I needed to end it here. But don't worry, I have huge plans for when our favorite couple get where they're going. It involves snow and Damon and Elena doing things they're not supposed to ;) Any guesses as to where they are? I hope I haven't disappointed you all with this chapter, but please review either way. Let me know if it was good, or alright, or if you just thought it fell short. I'm also open to suggestions for scenes or something you would particularly like to see! Once again, I am sooo sorry it took me so long to get an update out. I'm disgusted with myself. I promise I'll make next chapter long and juicy. I love you all so much, you're truly terrific readers. Thank you!**


	7. Falling Slowly

**I'm back! And starving for a new episode of TVD, the rerun didn't do much for me this past week, how bout you guys? Heard a rumor that Damon has a potential new love interest (!) and she's supposedly pretty cold. Damn, that makes me mad. I mean I love Damon being all sexy, but I didn't think he'd give up on Elena so fast. I thought the writers were slowly building Delena back up, not twisting the knife further in. Ah well, you know how they like to psych us out. On the other hand, thank you SO much for the amazing feedback yet again! It never fails to humble me and motivate me to write more. I promised a long, juicy chapter this time around, so I hope this doesn't disappoint. Let the Delena commence! And I promise the recap will be short this time ;)**

**Chapter 7: Falling Slowly**

…

_Falling slowly, eyes that know me_

_And I can't go back_

_Moods that take me and erase me_

_And I'm painted black_

_You have suffered enough_

_And warred with yourself_

_It's time that you won_

_Take this sinking boat_

_And point it home_

_We've still got time_

_Raise your hopeful voice_

_You had a choice_

_You've made it now_

…

_Previously: _

…"_I hate to be the bearer of bad news on this fine morning, Elena, but when I woke up this morning I went down the road to get your stuff and check things out, your car was gone."_

_ "Gone?" she repeated flatly, her eyes widening. Damon nodded curtly._

_ "Probably stolen. I looked around town for it, but I didn't see it." _

… _Damon turned onto a secluded road that wound into the woods. _

_ "Where on earth are we?" Elena asked, about to die of curiosity._

_ "Patience, young grasshopper," Damon shot back in an infuriating tone. He pulled the car up to an impressively tall pair of wrought iron gates, gilded with an ornate "V" in the center. Elena craned her neck to look past the gate, and spotting something in the distance, her jaw dropped._

…

"Welcome to the Biltmore, Elena," Damon informed her somewhat smugly, smirking at her facial expression.

Elena's jaw remained slack as she took in the house in the distance. _If you can even call it a house, _she thought incredulously_. Castle sounds more like it. _It was possibly the most beautiful place she'd ever seen. It looked at least 4 stories tall and over 5 times larger than the boarding house, with all of its towers and windows and balconies. It was built of stone, gilded with copper, and in its backyard laid majestic, sweeping blue mountains. The front lawn itself was the size of a football field.

"Nice, huh?" he remarked flippantly. "Not bad for the largest house in America." Elena blinked rapidly in an attempt to recover her wits. By then Damon had parked the car and was motioning for her to follow him. She quickly got out of the car, shivering at the snow as she joined him. She tugged her knit hat on as they walked across the lawn, the magnificent structure growing ever larger upon their approach. Damon smoothly approached a ticket booth, purchasing admission for them easily thanks to his charm. They shuffled through the grandiose front doors, Elena stamping her feet before stepping onto the marble tiles in the foyer. Her eyes widened in wonder as she took in the sheer richness of the place, gazing up at the elaborately painted high ceilings and brushing her fingers along the dark woodwork near the stairs. Damon watched the show of awe dance across her face intently, smiling to himself. They crossed the room to join the tour group, following the guide into the conservatory. Elena was dumbstruck by room after room, remarking delightly on the beauty of the place quite frequently to Damon. He pretended to be unimpressed for the sole reason of provoking her, telling her he'd seen bigger. She merely rolled her eyes and walked on. As the group passed the grand staircase, Damon suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the tour.

"Damon! What do you think you're doing?" She demanded, but didn't pull her hand away.

"Come on, Elena. Live a little," he advised her exasperatedly as he pulled her to a narrow staircase nestled in the shadows. She sighed loudly, but clutched Damon's hand as he pulled her behind him up a narrow, winding stone staircase.

"How do you even know where this leads to?" Elena inquired skeptically, plodding up the seemingly endless staircase.

"I've been here a few times in my undead life, and I guess you can say curiosity got the better of me after a while. And I needed a place to…have a snack where I could be sure no one would interrupt us," he answered slyly, turning back to grin at Elena, his eyes flashing malevolently.

"Sorry I asked," she muttered, shaking her head.

"Aha. Here we are," he remarked suddenly, slowing his pace abruptly.

Damon eased open a door at the top of the stairs and stepped forward, still pulling Elena with him. As they passed through the door, he dropped her hand and stood aside, allowing her to take it all in. They were standing on a long, flat stretch of roof edged with elaborate marble balustrades and surrounded by towering parts of the house on three sides. The fourth side provided an unobstructed view of the snowy dark blue mountains, which were a striking contrast to the pale white sky. There was a quiet stillness that resonated throughout the place, making them feel like they were the only two people on earth. There was a good inch or two of snow blanketing the roof already, and the flakes were still falling.

"This is beautiful," Elena breathed, ripping her eyes from the view long enough to look up at Damon.

"I thought you'd like it," He said in a low voice, studying the landscape instead of her.

Elena ventured out onto the roof, making footprints in the snow. Spreading her arms wide, she grinned and tilted her face to the sky as she spun in circles, her eyes closed. The falling snow brought her back to _the dream_, the blissful memory of her and Damon playing in snow. Her grin grew wider as she stopped spinning and reached down, balling up a handful of snow and cupping it in her hands. She stood up, throwing a furtive glance in Damon's direction; He had been watching her, a faint ghost of a crooked smile gracing his lips. He cocked an eyebrow at her, eyeing her hands pointedly.

"You wouldn't."

"I would," she contradicted gleefully, and hurled the snowball at him. It disintegrated into powder when it hit his shoulder, and he brushed it off disdainfully.

"You're gonna regret that," he all but growled at her. Faster than her eyes could follow, he bent down and crafted a snowball considerably larger than hers and with a snap of his wrist sent it flying into the side of her head.

"Damon!" she shrieked, clutching at her now-numb ear and brushing the snow from her hat. Frowning, she kicked up the toe of her boot, sending a shower of whiteness in his direction. He shook his head and shot her a predatory glance, his icy blue eyes flashing. Elena's own eyes widened and she turned away, running as best she could across the roof in an attempt to flee. He easily closed the distance, grabbing her around the waist from behind and drawing her recklessly close to him. Elena laughed, gulping to catch her breath in the cold air. Her eyes closed, and she made no attempt to quell her soaring heart. The dream, the one she'd been holding onto like a lifeline for the past two weeks, was real. This was it. She turned her head toward him and her eyes clashed with his, taking in the beautiful iridescent blueness of them. He straightened up, stepping back a little, feeling that he'd maybe crossed the line. He leaned against the railing, trying to read her downcast expression. He knew he didn't deserve anyone coming after him, her least of all. He deserved to feel lost and unwanted. But for some reason, God only knows, he wasn't. She was there to catch his fall.

Elena felt the sudden distance between the two of them, and spun to face him. She could almost see the wave of melancholy wash over his face, and she felt a pang deep inside herself. This was why she had come to find him. She didn't want him to feel that way. He'd had more than his fair share of misery, and somebody needed to go after him, to care about him, to choose him, _just once. _She leaned forward, reaching her arms up and circling them around his neck, then closed the remaining distance between them by pressing the side of her face to his heart. She didn't feel its beat, nor did she expect to, but it was comforting all the same. He instinctively held her even closer, wrapping his arms around her back and rested his palms flat against her shoulder blades.

"I missed you," she whispered into his jacket, the pit of her stomach suddenly feeling tight and full of hot air as he stroked the length of her spine. "I missed you so much."

His hand stopped moving along her back. "Elena, look at me." His voice was husky and vulnerable-sounding when it reached her ears, and she tilted her face up to his. His eyes were raw and ten thousand times more vulnerable than his voice when he spoke. "There's no way that I can even begin to…to tell you how much I missed you, I-" he broke off, at a loss for words, and leaned his forehead against hers, closing his eyes and breathing her air.

"I'm here now," she said softly, dropping one hand to the side of his face. "I'm here."

It seemed as if all the air surrounding them had been sucked away. Elena's heart pounded, the sound filling both of their ears. Elena's vision was filled with his eyes; the most beautiful pair of eyes she'd ever seen in this world. She knew she should hear warning bells. She should feel guilty about doing this with _her boyfriend's brother_, of all people. She hadn't officially broken it off with Stefan before she left, and that should make a difference. But this felt too right to stop, to think about anything else. Her forehead still against his, Elena brushed her lips against Damon's in a whisper of a kiss before capturing his bottom lip with hers. Damon was still against her, stunned in that first moment, but suddenly warmed up, his hands sliding up to the side of her face to tilt her head back, deepening the kiss. Elena's fingers delved into his silky dark hair, and she pulled herself closer to him. He kissed with so much sweetness and sensuality; as if her mouth was the most important thing on earth. Elena's knees dissolved into warm puddles, and she leaned against his strong form for support. When she became short of breath, he broke the kiss only to trail open-mouthed kisses from under her ear to her jaw line and down her neck. Elena gasped for air, her hot breath visible in the cold.

"Damon…" Elena groaned, her voice laced with warning. She wasn't going to allow herself to get carried away with Damon, not right now, and definitely not on the snow-covered roof of a public place, for Christ's sake. Damon slowly pulled away, his lips grazing the soft column of her throat. Elena shivered, her eyes pulled to his face like magnets. She couldn't help but notice that his lips were swollen. His sensitive, perfect mouth was swollen, and his usually biting blue eyes were wide and frenzied; not with hunger, but with emotion. Elena saw bewilderment, hope, and a plea for acceptance muddled in their depths. Her heart rose in her throat, and she stretched up on her toes to give him a lingering kiss on the cheek. Taking a step back, she firmly grasped his hand and tugged him toward the stairs, offering him a faint smile. He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze, stepping up to her side.

…

"So, where were you planning on going after this?" Elena asked him over hot chocolate as the sun was setting. They were sitting at a booth inside the restaurant on the property, which had obviously been a large stable in a past life. Light bulbs were strung in zigzags handing from the ceilings, and a single rose graced each table. It was cozy, to say the least; it matched the warm feeling spreading through Elena at the moment, and it wasn't just from the hot chocolate.

"Honestly, I had no idea. I wasn't exactly in the mood for planning a vacation at the time. I was just…drifting." Damon was drinking from a thermos of blood that he had grabbed from the trunk of his car. Elena was thankful for the opaqueness of the container; she wasn't sure she had grown used to watching people sip blood like it was a cocktail yet.

"I understand." A beat of silence passed, each buried in thought. "So where are we going to stay tonight?"

"You ask too many questions, you know that?" He chuckled teasingly. "There's an inn up the road that sounded pretty nice, I was planning on us crashing there for the night."

Elena nodded, yawning so widely that her jaw cracked.

"We could head up there now, if you'd like," Damon offered, just now noticing the deep circles under her eyes. She seriously needed to do some catching up on her sleep. _Hell, they both did._

"That would be great, actu-" Elena stopped dead mid-sentence, suddenly interrupted by an eerie, lonely howl that seemed to issue from the woods a hundred yards away. Her eyes widened.

"Well that was spooky," Damon observed in a dark tone. He saw the alarm rise in Elena's expression, and quickly assumed a lighter mood. "I expect Hugh Jackman to come bounding out of the woods at any moment now. Don't worry, that kangaroo's got nothing on me." He winked, and Elena swatted his shoulder playfully, her worries forgotten. They rose to go, and as they walked across the enormous snow-covered yard to the car, some of her concern returned as she was surrounded by the dark woods in the cold. She leaned into Damon's side as they walked, and he draped an arm protectively around her shoulders, squeezing her reassuringly. As soon as they got in the car, Elena locked her door and hugged her knees to her chest. Damon would've told her to relax, but he wasn't entirely sure she should. Something felt off to him; he couldn't quite place it. He couldn't shake the notion that as darkness descended upon them, something entirely more threatening was as well. He turned up the radio, searching for a decent station obnoxiously so Elena couldn't hear the baleful howling of that something that was out there in the woods.

…

** I know I promised a long juicy chapter, but this week has proved yet another hectic one, and this is all I had time to write. I'm sorry :( But I'm guessing you would rather me update with what I have now as opposed to waiting several more days for a longer chapter. And you can probably tell that next chapter should be pretty interesting (Damon and Elena in a hotel room together) so we'll hope that one turns out a bit longer. Please review and let me know what you think. I can't help but feel a little off my game this week. Did it get too mushy or unbelievable? Just let me know what you think; I can't even begin to explain how much you guys' amazing response means to me. Thank you so much! Looking forward to this week's episode and that "explosive turn of events" from Katherine that the writers keep hinting at (well at least I think I'm looking forward to it. You never know what they might do to us this time around). I love all of my reviewers so much, you guys can't even know how amazing you are. See you next chapter!**


	8. All This Time

** So Sorry this update's coming way later than usual, but things have been even more hectic than usual these past 2 weeks, and on top of that I have a dreadful head cold. I really appreciate all of you who are hanging in there and leaving me reviews every chapter! It means a great deal to me. Also, I don't know about you fine people, but I'm dying to see the newest episode (Rose).I'm scared. I think that someone will let Katherine out eventually to get information from her (*cough cough* Stefan *cough cough*), and havoc as usual will ensue. I don't think Elena will be hurt much more ( I hope) but I do think Damon will end up having to resort to drastic measures to get her out, according to hints from Julie Plec (as in sleeping with the enemy). I'm curious to find out if this little break is just a bump in the road for Stefan and Elena, or is it where Damon finally gets his deserving foot back in the door? Time will tell. Enough of my sickly ramblings. Off we go!**

**Chapter 8: All This Time **

… … …

_Take all the time lost_

_All the days that I cost_

_Take what I took and_

_Give it back to you_

_All this time_

_We were waiting for each other_

_All this time _

_I was waiting for you_

_We got all these words_

_Can't waste them on another_

_So I'm straight in a straight line _

_Running back to you_

… … …

_Previously:_

_ …"Welcome to the Biltmore, Elena," Damon informed her somewhat smugly, smirking at her facial expression. "Nice, huh?" he remarked flippantly. "Not bad for the largest house in America."_

_ …"Damon!" she shrieked, clutching at her now-numb ear and brushing the snow from her hat. Frowning, she kicked up the toe of her boot, sending a shower of whiteness in his direction. He shook his head and shot her a predatory glance, his icy blue eyes flashing. Elena's own eyes widened and she turned away, running as best she could across the roof in an attempt to flee. He easily closed the distance, grabbing her around the waist from behind and drawing her recklessly close to him. Elena laughed, gulping to catch her breath in the cold air. Her eyes closed, and she made no attempt to quell her soaring heart. The dream, the one she'd been holding onto like a lifeline for the past two weeks, was real. This was it._

…"_I missed you," she whispered into his jacket, the pit of her stomach suddenly feeling tight and full of hot air as he stroked the length of her spine. "I missed you so much."_

… _Her forehead still against his, Elena brushed her lips against Damon's in a whisper of a kiss before capturing his bottom lip with hers._

…_. "So where are we going to stay tonight?"_

_ …"You ask too many questions, you know that?" He chuckled teasingly. "There's an inn up the road that sounded pretty nice, I was planning on us crashing there for the night."_

…_. Damon couldn't shake the notion that as darkness descended upon them, something entirely more threatening was as well. He turned up the radio, searching for a decent station obnoxiously so Elena couldn't hear the baleful howling of that something that was out there in the woods._

**... … …**

"…One bed?" Elena asked him dubiously, tilting her head toward him.

"That's all that was available, Elena. Don't be such a prude," he mocked her, his eyes flashing. "I'll take the couch if you want." He sighed in annoyance.

She didn't reply, merely walking to the window and staring out over the mountains surrounding them.

"I would unpack now, but considering there's nothing for me _to _unpack…" she trailed off bitterly.

"We'll buy you something to wear tomorrow when the shops open back up. Do you have anything that you can sleep in tonight? Not that I'm implying that it's necessary for you to sleep in anything…"

"Damon," Elena reproached half-heartedly, rolling her eyes. She was just happy to see that he was finally getting back around to his normal, annoying and entirely inappropriate self. "I guess that bathrobe will do." She said resignedly, hitching a thumb toward the fluffy white hotel robe hanging in the closet. "I'm gonna go get a shower," she let him know, grabbing the robe from its hanger and disappearing into the spacious bathroom. She put the robe on the counter between the sinks, careful not to knock over the red rose that was propped there in a crystal vase. She was beginning to think that there was a rose garden on the grounds, considering they seemed to be on every flat surface she'd seen around here. Turning the shower on hot, she quickly stripped down to nothing and stepped in. The steaming water felt like heaven after a long day in and out of the cold, and she tilted her head under the stream of water, sighing. After washing up and rinsing off one last time (yes, the shampoo and soap smelled like roses; surprisingly, she didn't mind), Elena turned the knob in the shower and pushed back the curtain, grabbing an oversized towel to dry off. She wrapped herself in the plush over-sized robe, taking care to tie it extra-snugly at the waist, and stepped through the door. Damon was lounging against the headboard, surfing channels with a bored expression on his face. He glanced up at her, momentarily getting lost in the glow of her ruddy cheeks before coming to.

"My turn," he announced and sprung up from the bed, heading toward the bathroom. When he passed her, he suddenly froze, sniffing the air.

"Someone smells like they've been diving around in the rose bushes," he remarked flippantly, raising an eyebrow. Elena's mouth twisted into a grin, and she eyed his duffel bag.

"I hope you brought your own soap, or else you'll be smelling like a pansy for the rest of this trip," she remarked dryly before climbing into the spot he had just abandoned and picked up the remote. Damon shook his head before walking into the bathroom, carefully closing the door behind him.

Elena flipped through the channels before finally stopping on a seemingly pleasant movie about a group of men going on a canoeing trip. She climbed under the covers, sinking back into the pillow. As the men continued on their trip, the background music suddenly switched to twangy dueling banjos. Something about the supposedly harmless flick seemed off, but Elena couldn't even begin to place it. As the movie progressed, the band of men had a run-in with what looked like inbred mountain people. Elena's eyes widened, transfixed at the disturbing images flitting across the screen. As the movie grew increasingly violent, Elena found herself sinking deeper into the pillows and pulling the comforter up around her ears. Her heart nearly stopped beating at the sound of a door creaking open, and when Damon materialized in front of her, a muffled shriek escaped her lips.

"Elena, calm down. It's only me," he said in a quiet, amused voice, resting a gentle hand atop her head, which was the only part of her still visible above the comforter. He turned off the TV, and she poked her face out from beneath the covers, her eyes wide.

"I can't believe no one's ever told you not to watch _Deliverance _alone in the dark," he mused, shaking his dark head. He sank down on the opposite side of the bed next to her, and she eyed him warily, but didn't protest. He was wearing a fitted black t-shirt and charcoal gray sweatpants; she'd never seen him look this comfortable. She pushed the covers down past her chin, staring straight ahead.

"Remind me to never go canoeing, won't you?" she asked shakily, her mouth twitching. Even so, his presence soothed her, and she gradually relaxed, her shoulders slowly losing their tension. She readjusted herself so that she was lying down, curled up under the covers and facing him. He was stretched out, reclining against a propped elbow. They studied each other for a moment, intent on each other's eyes. Elena noticed that his usually alert, icy blue eyes had seemingly melted, in turn making her insides feel warm. She opened her mouth to say something, but was once again cut off by the eerie howl of something out in the woods. Shivers danced along her spine, and she rolled across the bed, tucking her arms in and burying her face into his chest. Feeling overwhelmingly protective and a little worried himself, he wrapped his arms around her back, stroking her damp wavy hair with his fingertips. He rested his chin on top of her head, inhaling the sweet warm scent of roses and closing his eyes, losing himself in this little piece of heaven.

"Damon?" She finally spoke up, her voice muffled by his t-shirt.

"Mhm?" he replied silkily, his voice issuing from somewhere deep in his chest.

"Do you believe in werewolves?" She asked timidly, her voice small.

"Of course not, Elena. I've been on this earth for over a century and a half and I've never encountered one. Total mythology." He hoped he was doing a better job of convincing her than he was of convincing himself.

"Just like vampires are complete myths?" She asked skeptically, turning her face to the side so she could breathe.

Damon had no reply for this, but merely pulled her closer to him, tracing small circles along her spine. He never lied to Elena, and he wasn't about to start now. Not when he had so much more to lose. She sighed, her hot breath tickling his chest. A moment passed, and he spoke up this time, his voice suddenly low and husky. There was no reply, and he looked down to see that her eyes had drifted shut, and she was breathing evenly against him. A faint smile tugged at one corner of his lips, and he slowly pulled the sheets over them both, lying down and keeping her in his arms. As he watched her side rise and fall, he hoped with everything in him that there really was no such thing as werewolves, but deep down he knew he had to be wrong. There was something supernatural, something _evil _out in those dark woods, and there was nothing he could do to convince himself otherwise. Whatever it was, he'd be damned if he let it anywhere near the saving grace that was sleeping peacefully in his arms. He would be _damned_.

… … …

"Where are you taking me now?" Elena questioned exasperatedly as Damon dragged her by the hand down the steep slope in front of the Inn. Damon had taken her down to the shops as soon as she woke up, and she was now equipped with enough clothing for the next few days. They had then breakfasted at the elegant little café in the east wing of the Inn, Elena once again eating enough to satisfy a few lumberjacks. With her free hand, she tugged her thick forest green sweater closer to her, shivering in the chill of the morning and crunching through the snow.

"The winery," He answered nonchalantly, rubbing his thumb over her hand to warm it.

Elena cocked an eyebrow. "It's 11 o'clock in the morning, Damon. A bit early to start if you ask me."

"Ah, but I didn't ask you, now did I?" he smirked, earning himself a smack across the shoulder.

"They won't even let me into the tasting room," she protested half-heartedly, shrugging her shoulders.

"Oh, sure they will, Elena. Stop trying to rain on all of my parades," he chastised lightly, then turned back to look at her. "Besides, you've got me." He was suddenly inches from her face, their breaths mingling together like smoke in the freezing air. His eyes widened slightly, and Elena's heart made an attempt to bound forward out of her chest. Her senses momentarily felt amplified, and her lips were screaming for a touch of his skin. Her eyes fluttered shut, giving in. To her surprise, but not dismay, she felt his warm mouth brush against her cheek, softly pressing against her flushed skin. He pulled back ever so slightly, arresting her with a smoldering blue gaze. Her heart jerked forward again, and she clasped his hand more tightly before they continued down the hill.

… … …

"I'll have some of that Chianti, thanks," Damon instructed the sommelier, who then nodded and looked expectantly at Elena.

"Same for me," she said, struggling to hide the surprise in her voice. She hadn't even been asked for I.D.

"What, no Zinfandel for the lady?" Damon waggled his eyebrows at her quizzically after the man gathered the menus and walked away.

"Excuse me for not having much experience with places like this. It's not like I'm in high school or anything," she shook her head.

"Snark is unnecessary, Elena. You and I both know I play that game way better than you do."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Your choices of alcohol have worked out pretty well for me in the past, so I figured this time shouldn't be any different."

Damon turned away, wincing. He hated that he had driven her to borderline alcoholism. He never wanted that for her.

The sommelier appeared with two stemmed glasses and a bottle along with a plate of strawberries and set them on the counter in front of the twosome before bowing and making his exit. Damon poured both glasses half full, suppressing a grin. Three weeks ago, he wouldn't have dared to imagine that he would be sitting here sharing his favorite Chianti with Elena. She hesitantly raised her glass, and he clinked his against hers before taking a hearty sip. She followed suit, cautiously taking a small sip and swishing it around in her mouth before swallowing. It was surprisingly good; much sweeter than she expected.

"You like it?" He asked casually, tossing her a sideways glance.

"Mhm," she nodded, taking another sip.

"Then try this." He picked up a strawberry from the dessert plate and held it to her lips. Blinking, she bit into the fruit, her full lips brushing against the very tips of his fingers. Sweet flavors were suddenly bursting in her mouth, and she savored it before swallowing the strawberry, a faint grin on her lips.

"That was amazing. Thanks a lot; you're going to turn me into a wino now," she teased, her mouth twisting at him.

"So I take it you liked that?" He asked, leaning closer to her. She nodded her head in an exaggerated fashion, as if to say, _obviously_. "So do I," he half-whispered, his mouth turning up in a small, crooked smile. His eyes flickered to her red lips for a nanosecond before flicking back up to her deep chocolate eyes, and finding no signs of protest, he gently pressed his mouth to hers, brushing his tongue against her bottom lip and relishing the sweet, musky taste. The touch of his warm tongue made Elena's breath hitch, her mouth opening against his. A warm, tingly feeling coursed through her veins as Damon rested his hands on her knees, leaning his chest closer to hers. He could practically feel her erratic heart beat vibrating through his body, and his jaw trembled, just as affected by the kiss as she was. To her regret, Elena remembered that they were in the middle of a crowded room and broke away, turning her face to the side. Damon lurched forward, his lips just taking up residence on her cheek and along her jaw instead. Putting her hands on either side of his face, she steadied him, giving him a sweet long look before turning to finish off her wine. Damon turned back to his glass as well, hanging his head to hide the smile spreading across his face.

After paying for the drinks, they got up to leave, Damon guiding her across the room with a hand caressing the small of her back. As they approached the front door, they both glanced out at the darkening sky. It was only 12:30 in the afternoon, but it seemed like the sun had already set.

"It's your turn to pick what we do," Damon informed her, nodding in her direction. Elena glanced at the ominous-looking sky and shuddered, crossing her arms over her chest.

"How 'bout we just stay in? Watch movies, order room service or something? It looks nasty out there."

"That's fine by me." Damon could find absolutely nothing wrong with spending an afternoon in bed watching TV with Elena. Or, in his case, watching Elena watch TV.

He opened the door for her, and they were greeted by a numbing blast of icy wind. Elena gasped, and Damon pulled her close, throwing an arm around her shoulders before walking out to start the trek up the hill. They were alone out in the snow, and it grew increasingly dark, the wind tearing at their clothes and howling in their ears. Elena turned her face into Damon's shoulder, and he guided her up the slope. He stopped suddenly, his entire body rigid. Elena looked up, and her stomach dropped at the sight of Damon's alarmed, frozen face. She followed his gaze to a spot fifteen feet away from them in the snow, and her heart stopped beating, a scream dying in her throat.

… … …

** And there you have it! I'm sorry to come back from such a long hiatus and leave you with a cliffhanger, but it had to be done. Please don't hate me now :-/ IF you guys still care about this story after it being left so long (please forgive me), or even if you though this chapter was a let down, please continue to be some of the most genuinely amazing readers ever and leave me a review. I appreciate everything SO much! Now off to take a third dose of Nyquil and curl up in bed. Until next time (which WILL be sooner, I promise)!**


	9. Run

**Oh. My God. Just…oh my god. That scene at the end of the most recent episode. The I Love You scene? I. Bawled. So. Beautiful. Damon so made himself worthy of her by doing that. He CRIED! Good lord, he CRIED! I hope she remembers somehow, I really do. Because if she has no recollection of it whatsoever, I think it would be the writers' way of closing the Delena chapter for the time being. Hopefully it is just the opposite. Goodness, I just can't get over it! For a moment before he kissed her forehead, it looked liked she would've let him actually kiss her…okay I need to stop now, I'm getting carried away. On the other hand, thank you all so much for continuing to be amazingly patient and faithful reviewers, I really don't know what I'd do without every single one of you. Also, y'all were so sweet to ask about me being sick! I'm feeling much better now, thank goodness. And I promised you all I'd update faster this time around, so voila! **

** Also, I've completely forgotten about this up until now, so – ****Disclaimer:**** I do not own ANY part of TVD. Otherwise, Damon's heart would not be breaking every episode and I would have already been mauled by the dwindling (and seriously misled) population of Stelena 'shippers. **

**Chapter 9: Run**

… … …

_Light up, light up_

_As if you have a choice_

_Even if you cannot hear my voice_

_I'll be right beside you dear_

_Louder, Louder_

_And we'll run for our lives_

_I can hardly speak _

_I understand why you can't raise your voice to say_

_Have heart my dear_

_We're bound to be afraid_

_Even if it's just for a few days_

_Making up for all this mess_

… … …

_Previously:_

…"_It's your turn to pick what we do," Damon informed her, nodding in her direction. Elena glanced at the ominous-looking sky and shuddered, crossing her arms over her chest._

_ "How 'bout we just stay in? Watch movies, order room service or something? It looks nasty out there."_

_ "That's fine by me." Damon could find absolutely nothing wrong with spending an afternoon in bed watching TV with Elena. Or, in his case, watching Elena watch TV. _

_ He opened the door for her, and they were greeted by a numbing blast of icy wind. Elena gasped, and Damon pulled her close, throwing an arm around her shoulders before walking out to start the trek up the hill. They were alone out in the snow, and it grew increasingly dark, the wind tearing at their clothes and howling in their ears. Elena turned her face into Damon's shoulder, and he guided her up the slope. He stopped suddenly, his entire body rigid. Elena looked up, and her stomach dropped at the sight of Damon's alarmed, frozen face. She followed his gaze to a spot fifteen feet away from them in the snow, and her heart stopped beating, a scream dying in her throat. _

… … …

Elena couldn't rip her eyes away from the shaggy, hulking black wolf that crouched in front of them, its hackles up and teeth bared. It had to be at least five feet tall from heel to shoulder, and its amber eyes flashed at them menacingly. It pawed at the snow, preparing to pounce, and Elena sickened, turning her face into Damon's chest. Suddenly, she felt a blast of wind and a shift of gravity. Disoriented, she looked up to find herself five feet outside of the Inn's front doors, Damon ushering her forward into the welcoming heat. His arm was wrapped tightly around her shoulders, and she felt his body tense and rigid against hers. He was worried, she could feel it. And when Damon, sardonic, brash Damon was worried, Elena knew she should be terrified. His jaw clenched, he steered her to the elevators, keeping his eyes looking straight ahead.

Once in the room, he bolted the window and drew the curtains, blocking out the view of the blustery, fast-falling snow. He turned to Elena, who was shaking near the bed across the room. One glimpse of her wide eyes was all it took to send him across the room in three strides to her, engulfing her in a comforting hug. He cradled the back of her head with his palm, his other hand running up and down her back. She rested her hand on his shoulder, biting her lower lip.

"What just happened?" She questioned, trying not to let her distress shake her voice.

Damon sighed. "I don't know, Elena. I really don't." He kissed her hair, and she nodded, pulling away to kick off her shoes and crawl underneath the blankets on the bed. He gave her a long look before pacing around the room, his brow furrowed and eyes flicking from side to side as he thought. He finally whipped out his phone and dialed a number, the corner of his mouth turned down in a small frown. Elena rose an eyebrow at him inquisitively, and Damon inclined his head toward her and hit the speaker button. The room was filled with the crackly sound of ringing, and it finally clicked, a familiar voice issuing from the line.

"Hello?"

"How's it going, teacher?" Damon drawled, his voice still retaining a slight edge.

"Damon? What the hell do you want?" Alaric's voice groaned from the other end.

"Listen, I know I'm probably the last person you want to talk to right now, but I need a favor. It's life-or-death." Damon's voice suddenly became strained and earnest as he glanced toward Elena.

There was a pause, then a deep sigh. "What is it, Damon?"

"How much do you know about werewolves?"

"…What?" Alaric seemed taken aback by the question.

"I know Isobel spent a lot of time researching the supernatural. Did she ever mention anything to you about werewolves?" The edge was creeping back into Damon's voice.

"As far as I know, there's no such thing."

"Then you're of no help to us. Nice catching up, Ric." Damon was about to end the call when Alaric spoke up again.

"Wait, no! I…might've heard something once."

"Then by all means, do tell," Damon shot back bitingly.

"Well…I've never heard anything about werewolves, but Isobel found some information once about some creatures called 'shapeshifters' that have some similarities to werewolves."

"Bull. Never heard of one in my long undead life." Damon rolled his eyes.

"Because they're incredibly rare…and most people who come across them don't live to tell the tale." Alaric spoke grimly.

Elena shrank back, and Damon's eyes flashed. "Tell me more," he demanded.

"They often appear in the form of a large black dog or wolf, and unlike werewolves, are unaffected by silver and the cycles of the moon. They can shapeshift whenever they please, and are rumored to have razor sharp fangs. That's all Isobel ever found. Why do want to know?"

"I think I just saw one," Damon answered, trying to keep his voice nonchalant.

Alaric fell silent for a few moments. "Damon, where ever you are, if you don't want to die a nasty, painful death, you need to _get out of there._" Alaric was surprised by his warning. Why the hell would he care if the vampire that killed…turned his wife snuffed it?

"What I'm curious about is why it's here. I've never met a 'shapeshifter' or whatever you call it, much less pissed one off," Damon quipped.

"Damon, there's no way you can meet a shapeshifter when it's not in wolf form." Alaric said, his voice heavy with foreboding.

"And why not?" Damon inquired impertinently.

"Because shapeshifters aren't people that turn into wolves…they're demons." Alaric's voice dropped at the last word.

Damon was silent for several seconds. "Gotta go, Ric. Thanks for talking."

"But wait, Damon, where _are_ you? I-" Damon hung up, the room falling into a weighted silence.

"Demons," Elena repeated quietly, her voice a monotone.

Damon was frozen in place, his eyes fixed on nothing, his hands clenched into fists.

"What's going to happen to us?" Elena whispered meekly.

Her voice seemed to snap him back to life, his clear blue eyes dark and flashing.

"We're going to get out of here," he answered, dragging the suitcase out from underneath the bed and plopping it down at Elena's feet. "We're going home."

"To Mystic Falls?" She asked, her voice daring to be hopeful.

"To Mystic Falls," he affirmed, throwing open the drawers and tossing their contents haphazardly into the suitcase. He had them packed in less than five minutes, and down to the lobby in ten. She clutched at his arm as he checked them out. She was scared out of her mind, but a small part of her was relieved that she was going home. And most of all, that Damon was coming with her.

As they walked to the front doors, Damon grasped her shoulder, stopping her from going forward.

"I'm going to get the car, okay? You stay here." He reached behind her to the flower arrangement on the round table at the entrance and plucked out a single red rose, pressing it into her hand as he kissed her forehead briefly. "I'll be right back."

Elena looked past him out into the dark sky and heavy snow, and bit her lip. "You promise?"

"I promise." He bored his eyes into hers for a moment, then was gone.

... … …

Elena tried to relax into the leather seat of Damon's car, closing her eyes so she didn't have to see the eerie black sky and swirling snow. She had no idea how Damon could manage driving in this weather, but Damon was Damon, after all. She sighed; now that they were safe in the car, and on the way home, she finally had time to think. Something she did not want to do, but knew she would have to eventually. She's been gone for days now, and Jenna would be positively livid when she came home. No doubt ground her for at least a month or two. Especially when she found out about the car…_oh god, the car._ And then there would be…_Stefan._ Elena could've slapped herself for not even thinking about him while she was away. Then again, he had basically said he couldn't have cared less if Damon was alright and tried to stop her from finding him. And lately, she hadn't felt anything real when she was around him. He had become a habit; a sense of security. She knew she would always care about him, but…

"I don't love him," she whispered, finally realizing the truth in her words as they left her lips.

"What was that?" Damon asked, his voice layered with confusion, curiosity, and...was it hope that she heard there?

"Nothing," she muttered, surprised that she had spoken. He cocked his head at her questioningly, but let it slide. The full impact of her words hitting her, Elena changed her mind, turning to Damon. "I was just thinking out loud." She gave him a long, meaningful stare, trying to convey the realization of her change of heart. Damon apparently understood, his eyes widening into deep pools of clear blue, a smile twitching at his lips. One of his hands slid off the wheel and gently clasped her fingers, resting their hands on his knee. Elena relaxed back into the headrest again, gazing out the window and shaking her head. She knew what she had to do when she got home. It wasn't going to be easy, but she had to do it to be fair to both of them. She didn't really want to hurt him, but she knew it was too late now. The other brother had stolen her heart and run with it, and she couldn't help but to follow him with reckless abandon. Damon needed to be chosen for once in his existence; he needed to be loved. And she wanted to be the one to do it. She squeezed his warm hand in hers, giving him the tiniest of smiles before letting her eyes drift shut, trying to rest up before all hell, quite literally, broke loose.

Damon glanced over at her, his eyes drifting slowly across her peaceful sleeping face. He let the sound of her even breathing and slowed heart beat consume him, trying desperately to distract himself. He was glad Elena had fallen asleep; that way she couldn't see the black, wolf-like shadows running through the woods alongside the car. He accelerated, knowing it was a futile attempt to outrun them, but he still tried anyway.

**... … … **

** Creepy. As you can see, I deviated from the werewolf idea and tried to create a more threatening, disturbing beast. Hope it's not too hokey, but then again, this **_**is **_**fantasy, after all. I apologize for this chapter being shorter than usual, but if I made it longer the update would've come much later. Hope you're not too mad at me! Also as an afterthought, did that scene in the show after Damon staked Elijah when he looked up at Elena and smiled hopefully before she rushed into Stefan's arms just about **_**kill **_** anyone else out there? God I can't shake that innocent little hopeful expression…damn you, TVD. Anyways please be incomprehensibly awesome like usual and drop a few lines telling me what you think or would like to see. It means the world to me! Much love ;)**


	10. Crossfire

***crawls up to computer screen* So…I'm finally back. I'm dreadfully sorry I keep breaking my promises to you guys, I really was going to update Monday. Alas, time escaped me yet again. I feel terrible, especially since I promised Ms. Zoraya Windwalker another chapter before she left (I failed you, please don't hate me now). Thanksgiving holidays are coming up this week though, so I ought to update faster next time around. My muse has also been persnickety, probably a symptom of the withdrawals I'm suffering from the show's painfully long hiatus. I can't wait until December 2****nd****! I'll shut up now and get to writing. On with it! **

**Chapter 10: Crossfire**

… … …

_I forgot all about the storm outside_

_Dark clouds roll their way over town_

_Heartache and pain come pouring down like_

_Chaos in the rain_

_And we're caught in the crossfire_

_Of heaven and hell_

_And we're searching for shelter…_

… … …

_Previously:_

_... Elena couldn't rip her eyes away from the shaggy, hulking black wolf that crouched in front of them, its hackles up and teeth bared. It had to be at least five feet tall from heel to shoulder, and its amber eyes flashed at them menacingly._

…"_Well…I've never heard anything about werewolves, but Isobel found some information once about some creatures called 'shapeshifters' that have some similarities to werewolves." Alaric fell silent for a few moments. "Damon, where ever you are, if you don't want to die a nasty, painful death, you need to get out of there."_

…"_Damon, there's no way you can meet a shapeshifter when it's not in wolf form." Alaric said, his voice heavy with foreboding._

_ "And why not?" Damon inquired impertinently._

_ "Because shapeshifters aren't people that turn into wolves…they're demons." Alaric's voice dropped at the last word._

…"_What's going to happen to us?" Elena whispered meekly._

_ Her voice seemed to snap him back to life, his clear blue eyes dark and flashing._

_ "We're going to get out of here," he answered, dragging the suitcase out from underneath the bed and plopping it down at Elena's feet. "We're going home."_

_ "To Mystic Falls?" She asked, her voice daring to be hopeful._

_ "To Mystic Falls," he affirmed._

…_. She didn't really want to hurt Stefan, but she knew it was too late now. The other brother had stolen her heart and run with it, and she couldn't help but to follow him with reckless abandon. Damon needed to be chosen for once in his existence; he needed to be loved. And Elena wanted to be the one to do it._

…_. Damon was glad Elena had fallen asleep; that way she couldn't see the black, wolf-like shadows running through the woods alongside the car. He accelerated, knowing it was a futile attempt to outrun them, but he still tried anyway._

… … …

Damon slowly pulled into the driveway of the boarding house, his eyes darting from side to side in search of suspicious black shadows. Seeing nothing, but not quite satisfied, he sped around to the passenger side and quietly opened the door, lifting a sleeping Elena gently from the seat and into his arms. Kicking the door shut with his heel, he locked the car and headed toward the house, the gravel crunching under his shoes. Elena stirred, her eyes flickering as she wrapped her arms around Damon's neck and tucked her face into his shoulder. He held her even closer as he stepped through the front door, locking it tightly behind them. Still holding Elena, he leaned down to turn on a lamp. The dim light cast eerie shadows in the cavernous parlor, and Damon's super-senses prickled. He went rigid as he heard a shuffling sound, then relaxed, releasing an exaggerated sigh.

"What is it, baby brother?"

Stefan darted around to face Damon, his eyes immediately falling to Elena.

"What's wrong with her? Is she hurt? Damon, what did you do to her?" an edge crept into Stefan's voice at his last sentence.

Damon's eyes flashed dangerously. "I'm offended you would accuse me of such a thing, Stefan. Where'd your inner southern gentleman go?" Damon rolled his eyes. "She's just sleeping. I'll even put her down if you'd like." Damon ambled over to the luxurious couch and eased her onto the cushions, snatching up a blanket at her feet and spreading it over her. She mumbled incoherently in her sleep and rolled over, clutching the blanket up to her chin. Both brothers gazed at her for a lingering moment before looking back at each other, guarded expressions gracing both vampires' features.

"Where've you been, Damon?" Stefan asked in a resigned, tired voice, settling into an armchair across from Elena.

Damon shrugged. "Oh, you know. Here and there."

"How the hell did Elena find you?"

"Apparently she got her little friend to get her witchy-witchy mojo on and find me through a locator spell."

Stefan lifted a brooding eyebrow, frowning. "And why did you come back with her?" he asked coldly.

"We didn't exactly have a choice," Damon answered evasively, turning to face the empty, dark fireplace.

"I have a feeling I don't want to hear the answer to what I'm about to ask, but I know I have to. What's going on, Damon?" Stefan asked cautiously.

Damon tilted his head to the side, deliberating. He decided there was no way he could make it sound better, so he spat out the truth. "Elena and I are being follow by demonic wolf-like creatures that are out to get us," he declared bluntly. No matter how much effort he put into sounding nonchalant, he couldn't stop the hairs from standing up on the back of his neck. He glanced over at Elena impulsively, feeling a sense of paranoia creep up his spine.

Stefan was silent, Damon's words slicing through him. _Demons. _Surely he hadn't heard right. "What was that you said that's following you?"

"You heard me," Damon muttered, turning back to face his brother. "Actually, Alaric says the little buggers are called _shapeshifters,_ and they're nothing like werewolves aside from the fact that they're, well, massive wolves. They can run around in the day-time, and you can't kill them with silver. I'm not sure if you can kill them at all. They're demons." Damon finished matter-of-factly.

Stefan slowly shook his head in disbelief. "What on earth could you have done to get a pack of them out to get you, Damon? I know pissing people off is a particular pastime of yours, but it was never anything like this."

"I don't know, Stefan, I really don't. I've never heard of these bastards until today, much less pissed one off!" Frustration crept into his voice, and Damon's knuckles whitened as he clenched his hands into fists. Stefan was taken aback. He wasn't used to seeing his in-control, devil-may-care older brother so close to giving in to panic. To be honest, he was scared. Something infinitely more evil than them was thirsting for their blood, and he was powerless to stop it.

Damon ran a hand through his already tousled hair. "I'm going to talk to Ric tomorrow about all of this. He's the one that told me about them in the first place. Maybe we can figure out why the hell these creatures have it in for Elena and me in the first place. And that'll give her a chance to try and smooth things over with Jenna, considering she's been gone for almost a week without contacting her…yeah you might want to go with her in case she needs a little extra _help, _if you know what I mean. Can you handle that on the bunny diet, Stef?"

Stefan was silent. "Okay, maybe not. Never mind, it'll work out, little bro." Damon said unconvincingly, patting Stefan on the shoulder and giving Elena one last glance before heading for the stairs. He desperately wanted to kiss her cheek and whisper good night in her ear, but he checked himself, remembering that she was technically with Stefan. He disappeared into his room and collapsed onto the bed, thoroughly exhausted. He would love nothing more than to get a good night's sleep in before everything got worse, like it always does, but he couldn't bring himself to shut his eyes. He didn't know the power he was up against, and he knew he wouldn't be able to rest easy until he did.

… … …

Stefan dragged his chair over to the head of the couch, watching Elena sleep. She had finally stopped tossing and turning, and seemed to be resting somewhat peacefully. He suddenly heard a baleful howling from the woods behind the house, shooting ice through his veins. He leaned protectively closer to Elena, his jaw clenched. These terrible creatures were after his girlfriend, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Damon's words from earlier rang in his head: _"Can you handle that on the bunny diet?"_ His eyes widening, Stefan realized it wasn't going to be enough anymore. If he couldn't fight, he was useless. Good for nothing. He found his feet carrying him across the room and down the stairs to the cellar. He blinked and was suddenly standing in front of the blood bank supply cooler. He slowly lifted the lid, cringing at the deafening creak of the hinges. His fingers found their way around a bag of AB negative, and he tore it open, tipping it back to drain it of its contents. As soon as the thick, cool liquid reached his throat, his entire body felt as if it were singing with electric currents. He finished it off within seconds, tossing it to the side and tearing open another. He repeated the process four times before closing the lid of the cooler, feeling powerful and satiated. Grinning to himself, he ascended the stairwell and quietly closed the door, striding across the room and settling down next to Elena once more.

… … …

Elena relaxed in her sleep, succumbing once again to her blissful dreamland in the snow.

_Elena fell back against the powdery snow, a huge grin spreading across her flushed cheeks. Sighing, she spread her arms wide and stretched out her legs, sliding them back and forth over the snow to make a snow angel. Satisfied, she relaxed into the snow, closing her eyes. She felt the snowflakes melting on her cheeks, and she turned her head to the side. Her eyes opened to be filled with the vision of blazing blue, framed by thick dark lashes. He pulled back a little, a crooked smile twisting on his face. His hand reached up to tuck a piece of hear behind her ear, and Elena suddenly felt warmer. He blinked slowly, tilting his head to the side and running the backs of his fingers down her cheekbone. Elena bit back a smile of pleasure, not able to stop herself from whispering…_

… … …

"Damon…" Elena mumbled in her sleep, leaning into the hand running brushing her face. Stefan froze, snatching his hand back. Elena rolled away from him, settling back into the couch and still sound asleep. All of the human blood in Stefan's veins felt as if it were boiling. Something _had _happened between his brother and Elena, he just _knew _it. And he couldn't believe it. His sweet, loyal, level-headed Elena had fallen into another one of Damon's despicable traps. She was blind to what he really was. Stefan clenched his fists, resisting the urge to demolish the parlor with his new-found power. A vein in his neck twitching, he shot Elena an embittered look before rising to go. All thoughts of impending doom and shapeshifters fled his mind, and were replaced by jealous fury. He wasn't going to let this happen, if he had to take care of those two himself. He would bring Elena back to him. As it should be. There was _no_ other option.

… … …

**And the shit is about to hit the fan. We have a blood-lust crazed, jealous Stefan, a worried Damon, and poor Elena caught in between, with shape shifting demons out to get them, as well as a pissed-off aunt and a betrayed witch waiting in the wings. Things should get interesting. Once again, I'm terribly sorry to keep you waiting. Forgive me and leave a review? You guys have not yet failed to overwhelm me with such a supportive and incredible response, and reviews are one of the few things I look forward to every day. Thanks so much for being the absolute best! Let me know what you think about how this is turning out. I also apologize for this being shorter than usual, but I'm quite pressed for time and hope to make it up to you this coming weekend. Lots of Love, and see you at chapter 11! **


	11. All That I'm Asking For

**Here we are again! I sense some lingering hostility for my long absence, considering the pretty bleak response I got last chapter. Here I am trying to make up for it again, I really am sorry! Off we go.**

**Chapter 11: All That I'm Asking For**

… … …

_Now we walk together_

_Knowing where we've been_

_Knowing mistakes are being mistaken again_

_It's in the past tense_

_There's no making sense of it now_

_All that I'm asking for_

_Is that you need nothing more_

_And nothing comes in between_

_Our love and it's fragile, see_

_You're all that I'm asking for_

… … …

_Previously:_

_... "Damon…" Elena mumbled in her sleep, leaning into the hand running brushing her face. Stefan froze, snatching his hand back. Elena rolled away from him, settling back into the couch and still sound asleep. All of the human blood in Stefan's veins felt as if it were boiling. Something had happened between his brother and Elena, he just knew it. And he couldn't believe it. His sweet, loyal, level-headed Elena had fallen into another one of Damon's despicable traps. She was blind to what he really was. Stefan clenched his fists, resisting the urge to demolish the parlor with his new-found power. A vein in his neck twitching, he shot Elena an embittered look before rising to go. All thoughts of impending doom and shapeshifters fled his mind, and were replaced by jealous fury. He wasn't going to let this happen, if he had to take care of those two himself. He would bring Elena back to him. As it should be. There was _no_ other option._

… … …

Elena blinked against the dim morning light streaming into the parlor, trying to gather her bearings. She pushed the blankets down from where they had been up around her chin and sat up, stretching her arms over her head in a cat-like manner. The boarding house was impossibly still, showing no signs of its inhabitants.

"Damon?" Elena called out tentatively, not quite raising her voice. A few seconds later, he strode into the room, his lips twisted into something between a smile and a grimace. He held out a cup of coffee to her, and she took it gratefully, glancing around as he lifted her feet and sat down, resting her ankles on his lap. Taking a deep sip of the steaming liquid, she bit her lip and her gaze flickered toward the stairs.

"Is Stefan around here anywhere?"

Damon's face fell slightly at the inquiry, but he quickly recovered and answered "Actually, I haven't seen him since we got in last night. He really should be more careful, running amuck when god knows what is lurking about the woods." Elena's brows drew together with concern, and she frowned.

"Have you found out anything more about the shapeshifters?" She whispered nervously, as if she was afraid they would hear her. Then again, for all they knew, it could very well be a possibility.

"No, but I'm going to talk to the teacher about them in a few hours, see what we can piece together."

"Can I come with you? I want to know why they're after us. That wolf in the woods jumped at me, not you. " Elena's eyes darkened, but fear still traced her features, and Damon knew he couldn't say no.

"Of course you can, Elena. I'm not going to coddle you, you can count on that." Damon's blue eyes were burning with something Elena realized was sincerity.

"Thank you," she nodded, standing up to give him a lingering kiss on the cheek before disappearing into the kitchen. She was dreading today, for no trifling reasons. She had to face Aunt Jenna, and most likely a pretty gruesome punishment, and she knew she had to end it with Stefan. She couldn't put it off any longer, and wasn't sure she wanted to. She didn't want to hurt him, but she'd rather make it a clean break and not draw it out. As if he could hear her thinking his name, he strolled through the back door, his gait slightly more purposeful than usual.

"Stefan, you're back! You really shouldn't disappear like that, with those shapeshifters on the prowl-"

"And I could say the same to you!" Stefan interrupted, his grin not reaching his eyes. "Don't just up and leave me anymore like that, Elena! I was about to go insane worrying about you."

Elena's eyes shifted, her stance changing to something more tense. "If you were so worried, then why didn't you just come after me?"

Stefan had no immediate reply, and instead opted to go in for a hug. Elena instinctually stepped back, shaking her head. "Exactly, Stefan. We need to talk."

He feigned innocence, nodding and motioning her to follow him to his room. She complied, but warily. Something about this definitely felt off.

Stefan closed his door and sank down onto his bed, patting the spot next to him. Elena sat down a good foot away from him, wanting to start this off in the right direction.

"This isn't working anymore, Stefan."

His eyes hardened, but he said nothing.

"I mean, I've been realizing it over the past few weeks, and it doesn't feel good anymore. It seems like we're only still together because neither one of us cares enough to break it off," Elena continued, the words coming more easily than she thought they would have.

Stefan shook his head. "That's not true, Elena, and you know it. I love you." He leaned in for a kiss, but Elena pushed against his chest, stopping him.

"I'm in love with Damon." She hadn't meant to put it so bluntly, but there it was. Surely he could understand now.

"What the hell, Elena? Has he compelled you? What did he do? Just tell me and I swear I'll-"

"He hasn't done anything to me, Stefan! I know when he first came to Mystic Falls, he was a wretched person, but he thought he was doing it all for love. And then he finds out this Katherine never loved him in the first place! He's not bad, not really. He's just gotten his heart broken. And lately, I've been seeing more of the real him. I guess, somewhere along the way, I decided he was worth saving. And I fell for him."

Stefan's face was stony, his eyes unreadable. Elena reached up to touch his face. "I'm sorry, Stefan, I didn't mean for this to happen! You and I, we had a great run, and I loved you through it all, but it's over now! I still love you. I always will. I'm just not in love with you anymore."

Stefan swatted Elena's hand away, shaking his head. "This isn't happening. You're not breaking up with me. You're obviously exhausted from putting up with my brother for so long and need to rest. You don't know what you're saying."

Elena's mouth fell open. "Yes I do! Why won't you just let us go our separate ways, Stefan? It's better for both of us that way."

"You're wrong," He said with conviction, and holding her by her upper arms, Stefan pressed his lips forcefully against hers, kissing her more to prove a point than anything. Disgusted, Elena ripped herself from his grasp, shaking with anger.

"What is _wrong _with you?" she spat out, breathing heavily. Her eyes drifted down to the comforter, trying desperately to find something else to look at besides him. That's when she noticed the thick, wrinkled plastic jutting from his back pocket, tinged with a watery shade of red…

"Oh my god," Elena whispered in a low voice, shaking her head. "What did you do, Stefan?" She backed away from him and off the mattress, her heart beating erratically. "That's a blood bag, isn't it?"

"I needed to protect you," he replied simply in lieu of an explanation, not even trying to plead his case. He did nothing wrong, after all.

"You shouldn't have done that, Stefan. It won't help us and you know it."

Stefan got off the bed as well, advancing toward her. Panicking, Elena whirled around and yanked open the door, disappearing down the hall and thundering down the stairs.

"Damon!" She shouted, her voice scratchy. "Damon!" She bounded down the last three stairs, tripping into his arms. She let out a strangled, terrified sob, shaking her head against his shoulder.

"What is it, Elena? What's wrong?" He asked in a low voice, stroking her hair.

"It's Stefan, he – I tried to break up with him and he wouldn't accept it, and he was acting all wrong, and that's when I saw the bloodbag in his pocket…" She felt his body tense against hers, and she pulled back to see that the blue pools of his eyes had frozen to ice. His jaw clenched, he glanced past her, grimacing.

"This is _so _not what we needed right now," He groaned, leading her into the kitchen. He caught sight of her face, and his eyes melted, wrapping her back in his arms and rocking her gently back and forth. The tension in her shoulders relaxed, and she drank in his warm scent, temporarily forgetting everything around them. They were interrupted by a set of heavy footfalls, followed by a hard voice.

"What the hell's going on in here?"

Elena drew a deep breath, peeking up at him from the shelter of Damon's shoulder. "I told you, Stefan. I'm in love with him. I'm sorry it had to be this way, but I can't turn back now."

Damon's heart swelled at her confession, but he quickly repressed the feeling, trying to focus on the troublesome matter at hand. Stefan glanced menacingly at his brother, but Damon spoke first.

"Stefan, you need to calm down. Have yourself a drink. You know you don't handle the people stuff well, remember last time? You need to cut it out before you're too far gone."

Stefan, not to be persuaded, shook his head. "No. We're facing something far more powerful than either of us at the moment and I need to protect Elena."

Damon's jaw tensed. "Going all blood-lusty on us right now only worsens the situation, and you know that. No amount of human blood can help."

Stefan's attention suddenly snapped to Damon's arms, which were still wrapped protectively around Elena.

"What did you do to make her think she was in love with you? Did you compel her and then replace her necklace, or are you holding a threat over her head? Leave her alone, Damon." Stefan's upper lip curled slightly, giving him a predatory appearance.

Damon's arms squeezed more tightly around Elena's slight form. "I didn't do anything to her, Stefan. She came looking for _me, _remember?" Elena nodded, tucking her face into Damon's shoulder.

Stefan tilted his head to one side. "Fine. Do what you want, Elena. You should just remember that being with Damon is a one-way ticket to hell. Be careful."

Elena turned back to glare at Stefan. "Hey!-" she spat out, storming toward Stefan, but Damon caught her around the waist and held her back. Then there were suddenly only the two of them in the room. The younger brother had evaporated. Elena's eyes roved furiously around the room, her breathing still accelerated and heavy with anger. Closing her eyes, she let her hands drop at her sides.

"Great. Like we needed one more thing to worry about right now. " A tiny groan escaped her lips, and Damon turned her around to face him, one arm snaking around her waist and his other fingers ghosting across her cheek.

"Hey," he said softly, his warm breath fanning her face. "We're gonna work this out. I promise you that. I swear I won't ever let anything hurt you. You know you can trust me." Elena stared up at him for a long moment, her gaze softening before she finally nodded, kissing his jaw and burying her hot face against his neck.

Damon closed his eyes, soaking in the heat of her body pressed against his, and praying with all his might to god, if there was one up there, that what he had just promised her wouldn't end up a lie.

… … …

**Yes, I know this chapter was short as well, and I'm so sorry. The holidays were busier than I thought they would be. I hope you guys don't totally abandon me now; I got the message last chapter. Please be more amazing than I deserve and review? I still love all of you readers out there. Next Up: A rendezvous with Alaric, everyone's favorite Buffy 2.0. Over and Out!**


	12. All You Wanted

**I'm Baaaack! And so is TVD, finally. Anyone else incredibly excited that Stefan's stuck in the tomb and Damon is taking care of Elena? Damn I haven't been this excited since…who knows when. Maybe our hero will finally catch a break. Also, thank you so much for showing up last update and leaving an amazing response, it was lovely :) Here we go again!**

**Chapter 12: All You Wanted**

… … …

_But we still hold on_

'_Cause it was all you wanted and_

_All I needed_

_But all I gave up now_

_Could you hold me tighter_

_When worlds collide and just_

_Hold me down right now_

… … …

_Previously:_

…"_Have you found out anything more about the shapeshifters?" She whispered nervously, as if she was afraid they would hear her. Then again, for all they knew, it could very well be a possibility._

_ "No, but I'm going to talk to the teacher about them in a few hours, see what we can piece together."_

_ "Can I come with you? I want to know why they're after us. That wolf in the woods jumped at me, not you. " Elena's eyes darkened, but fear still traced her features, and Damon knew he couldn't say no._

…"_I'm in love with Damon."…_

… _That's when she noticed the thick, wrinkled plastic jutting from his back pocket, tinged with a watery shade of red…_

_ "Oh my god," Elena whispered in a low voice, shaking her head. "What did you do, Stefan?" She backed away from him and off the mattress, her heart beating erratically. "That's a blood bag, isn't it?"_

_ "I needed to protect you."_

… … …

"So, can you tell us why the hell these shapeshifters are after us?" Damon asked bluntly, settling down next to Elena on Saltzman's couch.

Alaric faintly shook his head, sinking into the armchair across from them. "There is an incredibly scarce amount of information on these creatures, considering most of the people who encounter them don't live to tell the tale. But from what I've gathered, they're very power-hungry beings, and don't like sharing their turf. If they cross paths with another supernatural being, they'll do anything to eliminate them. My guess is the two of you are sort of like a supernatural hotspot, Damon being a vampire and Elena over here what we assume to be some sort of doppelganger."

Damon's brow furrowed, his hands slapping down over his knees. "Great. And now they're in Mystic Falls: the town that attracts supernatural beings like moths to a light." Elena scrunched her eyes shut, throwing her head back against the couch.

Damon inclined his head toward Alaric forebodingly. "And how would we kill one of these so called shapeshifters?"

The teacher grimaced. "I…I'm not entirely sure if you can. There's no record of it ever being done."

Elena lifted her head up to glance at Damon, her palm flying up to her forehead. He turned to meet her gaze, eyes wide on all sides. After a second or two, they looked away.

"Shit," they both muttered simultaneously, Elena shaking her head and Damon swallowing hard. After a few moments, Damon rose to go, Elena following suit.

"Well, thanks for telling us what you know, Ric. Not that it helped us out, but it seems like nothing can anyways."

Alaric nodded in reply, and Elena mumbled her thanks before following Damon out the door and to his old blue chevy. Elena climbed into the passenger seat, leaning against the head rest and sighing.

"This has not been my day," she groaned, staring out the window. "First Stefan, and then there's this, and Jenna…" Jenna was livid when Elena came crawling home this morning, near shouting and grounding Elena into eternity. However, Damon had decided it wasn't safe for Elena to stay alone in her own home anymore, and wanted to compel Jenna into letting Elena at least temporarily stay at the boarding house. Elena had protested at first, hating when Damon messed with her family members' minds, but eventually agreed, if reluctantly, that it was the only way.

Damon took a hand off the wheel to reach over and clasp one of hers, rubbing his thumb over her the back of her hand soothingly. "We'll make it through this, Elena. Chin up." Even he could hear the doubt threatening to show through his thin voice. Thankfully they hadn't crossed paths with Bonnie yet; they both knew she would be far from happy to see either of them.

They pulled up to the boarding house, and Elena sluggishly got out of the car, trudging around the front and slowly shuffling toward the front door through the snow. Damon caught her by the elbow, spinning her around to face him.

"Hey." He leveled her with a piercing blue gaze, his hands wrapping around her upper arms. "Look at me. We're gonna pull through this, do you hear me? I know things are looking pretty dim right now, but we can't let that get to us. Not Stefan, or Bonnie, or even these goddamn demons are going to pull us apart. Don't give up yet." Damon's eyes were burning through her, and Elena tilted her head up, her chin quivering. She nodded, pulling her arms out of his grasp to wrap them around his neck. She pushed herself up on her tiptoes to capture his bottom lip between hers, her mouth trembling slightly. He reacted immediately, his warm lips sending her brain into a clouded frenzy. She opened her lips to breathe a hot breath into his mouth, and his tongue slipped out to meet hers. Elena pulled away while she still could, her heavy breathing puffing around them visibly in the freezing air. She leaned her head to the side against his chest, letting her eyes drift shut.

"I love you," she reminded him, drinking in his warm, musky scent. He held her tighter, resting his chin atop her head, and that was all the response she needed. She pulled away all too quickly, stepping in front of him and grabbing his hand to pull him toward the front door. "Oh, and Damon?" she said, turning back to look at him as she walked.

"Hm?" he responded, a crooked grin forming on his lips.

"You can keep the picture you took from my dresser."

… … …

Damon locked the door behind them, even if he knew it probably wouldn't do much good. He tilted his head, listening for anything out of the ordinary in the house. Hearing only the TV upstairs, he grabbed Elena's hand and ascended the staircase, his eyes darting toward the windows every few seconds. They walked in a room to see Stefan slouched in front of the TV, his eyes fixated on the news flashing across the screen. Elena frowned, getting a strange feeling that she recognized the scene being showed.

"_We're here at the ruins of the old Fell's Church, what was left of one of the original structures built in Mystic Falls. It was reported to us that late this afternoon, someone out jogging in the woods found the place a complete wreck. Trees knocked over, stones cracked, disturbed earth, and the already crumbling ruins strewn across the forest in this unexpected and violent act of vandalism. No word yet on who-" _The screen suddenly cut to black, and Stefan stood up, dropping the remote. He glanced from Damon to Elena and down to their clasped hands, a disgusted look twisting his features. He left the room silently, knocking against Damon's shoulder in the process. When he was gone, Elena turned to Damon, her eyebrows raised in confusion and disbelief.

"What the hell was that?"

Damon paused a moment before answering grimly, "It looks like the demons are…indiscriminant in what they destroy. They went for the church because they know that twenty some-odd vampires are entombed below it. But from the looks of it, they couldn't get in. But they damn sure tried."

Elena shuddered at his words. The ruins, which looked bad enough beforehand, were nearly unrecognizable now. No telling what these demons could do to a single human.

Damon draped an arm over her shoulders. "Come on. Like it or not we better tell Broody what we found out from Saltzman. He may be off his rocker at the moment, but he still needs to know what we're up against." She nodded, leaning against him as they traipsed back down the stairs.

"Stefan?" Damon called out. "We need to talk to you." There was a blur, and the younger brother materialized in front of them. His mouth set in a hard line, he tilted his head impatiently. "So, about these little devils-"

They were interrupted by a deafening creaking noise and a blast of icy, cutting wind. All three heads snapped toward the door, which was swung open and slammed back against the wall behind it. The freezing wind whipped around them, slicing through them like a knife and wracking Elena's slender frame. Suddenly, so quickly it could've been mistaken for a trick of the light, a black shadow darted into the room, skating over the walls. Elena's eyes rounded as it leaped above them to the ceiling, and Damon shielded her with his body protectively. Two more smoky black shadows emerged, and the three forms swarmed together toward the two brothers and Elena, corralling them into each other and swirling about them in a tight circle. The lights flickered, and the cold wind intensified, whipping around them until it felt like they couldn't breathe. Elena began to hyperventilate, turning her back to Stefan, who was in a protective stance on her other side, and clutching her arms around Damon's waist, hiding her face against him.

In a split second, the lights in the house were extinguished altogether, leaving them in a dreadful pitch blackness. The wind was stilled, and the air eerily quiet. For a painfully long moment, the room was silent, save Elena's heavy breathing. Then a low, rumbling, menacing growl filled the room, accompanied by a gnashing of teeth and soft padding of paws. The paws of three wolves. The growling grew more ferocious, more urgent. Closer. Then, as quickly as they had come, they disappeared. The lights flickered back on, and the front door swung shut. The room's three occupants turned to look at each other in alarm, all pairs of eyes wide with terror. Elena was shaking violently, and Stefan sped to the cellar, presumably to get a fix and calm himself down. Damon ran a hand through his hair, mussing it even more. Elena's knees felt like water, and her eyes couldn't focus on anything.

"We're all going to die, aren't we?" she whimpered before her eyes rolled back in her head and she sank to the ground, everything fading to nothingness.

… … …

**Have mercy. These creepy old things are deliciously fun (and a little unnerving) to write. Hope I'm not going too overboard for you all. Thanks for being amazing reviewers, and please continue to take a few moments and leave a review! Sorry the chapters aren't as long as they used to be, but I honestly have no time to write more. So it's either shorter weekly updates, or long ones every 2 weeks. That's all for now! Goodness, The wind just picked up outside the house. I'm going to hide now. *crawls under the table***


	13. Straight to You

** Hey, gang. So what did you guys think about The mid-season finale? Personally, I wasn't impressed. I don't think they should've let Stefan out of the tomb that quickly, and Damon and Elena had NO bonding time at all. I thought that was the point of Stefan being MIA…guess not. Poor Tyler! But call me heartless, I don't really care about what happens to Rose, other than the fact that her death might hurt Damon. I must say, I've been missing the episodes centered on our main trio, as well as Jeremy and Alaric. And now we have to wait forever for the next episode. Grr. I'll get on with this now.**

**Chapter 13: Straight to You**

… … …

_This is the time of our great undoing_

_This is the time that I'll come running_

_Straight to you_

_For I am captured_

_Straight to you_

_The sky will throw thunderbolts and sparks_

_Straight at you_

_But I'll come running_

_Straight to you…_

… … …

_Previously:_

_... My guess is the two of you are sort of like a supernatural hotspot, Damon being a vampire and Elena over here what we assume to be some sort of doppelganger."_

_ Damon inclined his head toward Alaric forebodingly. "And how would we kill one of these so called shapeshifters?"_

_ The teacher grimaced. "I…I'm not entirely sure if you can. There's no record of it ever being done."_

… _In a split second, the lights in the house were extinguished altogether, leaving them in a dreadful pitch blackness. The wind was stilled, and the air eerily quiet. For a painfully long moment, the room was silent, save Elena's heavy breathing. Then a low, rumbling, menacing growl filled the room, accompanied by a gnashing of teeth and soft padding of paws. The paws of three wolves. The growling grew more ferocious, more urgent. Closer. Then, as quickly as they had come, they disappeared. The lights flickered back on, and the front door swung shut._

_ "We're all going to die, aren't we?" Elena whimpered before her eyes rolled back in her head and she sank to the ground, everything fading to nothingness._

… … …

"Elena?" Damon lightly patted her cheek, shaking her shoulder gently with one hand. "Come on, Elena. Wake up."

Elena groggily stirred, her eyes blinking repeatedly against the dim light. She rolled her head in Damon's direction, focusing in on his face.

"What just happened?" She questioned, her voice cracking. Damon shook his head, grimacing, and picked her up carefully, moving her to the couch.

"I…I don't know, Elena. It sure seems like those demons are getting a bit restless." She laid back against the arm of the couch, and he tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, leaning over her protectively. She reached up to caress his face, tracing the outline of his chiseled jaw. Her hand dropped back into her lap, and she suddenly turned to stare into the fireplace.

"I'm sorry I passed out on you. I'm not sure what's gotten into me," she shook her head, nonplussed.

"Shh, don't apologize. You've been through a lot lately. Hell, we all have. You just happen to be human."

Elena nodded in resignation, running a hand up and down his forearm, which was extended against the couch and inches from her face.

"I'll get you something to drink. You look terrible," he teased, earning him a scowl in his direction and a feeble slap on the shoulder. He disappeared into the kitchen, glancing around futilely for signs of Stefan. He snatched a water bottle from the fridge and flickered at superhuman speed back to the parlor where Elena was resting, handing her the bottle and making sure she drank. Some of her color returning, she sat up.

"I want to go back to my place and check things out. Make sure Jenna and Jeremy are okay."

"Elena, there's no reason for the shapeshifters to go after them, they're not vampires-"

"It would just give me peace of mind, alright?" She cut him off. "I just need to see them."

Damon nodded in understanding, thought he wasn't entirely comfortable with Elena leaving the house at night. Then again, it seemed the boarding house wasn't safe either. "I'll drive you," he offered, pulling her up next to him. _Not like he'd let her go any other way._

They quickly made their way to his car, heads bowed against the blustery snow. Damon turned the keys to crank the engine, but nothing happened. He tried again, but to no avail. Elena's stomach dropped. Shaking his head, Damon opened his door and stepped out. "Be right back," he assured her, locking the doors behind him. He lifted the hood of the car to see that all of the cables in his car had been destroyed, as well as his engine, which was broken into three large pieces. He muttered a stream of curses under his breath, gritting his teeth and jogging over to check Stefan's car. It was in the same shape. Trying to remain calm, he dashed back to his car and slid into the driver's seat.

"Looks like _they_ don't want us going anywhere," he growled, his eyes flashing. "Both of the cars are useless, and we don't have the time or means to fix them. Sorry, Elena, but we're stranded."

Elena set her jaw. "No. We have to go. Too many things have happened tonight, and I've got to make sure they're safe."

Damon closed his eyes, willing himself not to become frustrated. "Okay. I'll run you home. Can you handle that?"

Elena looked dubiously out the window at the perpetually accumulating snow, but steeled herself and nodded. Her shoulders hunched in the wind as she got out of the car, and Damon was at her side in an instant.

"Hold on tight," he instructed, pulling her into his chest and wrapping his arms around her back. She buried her face against his neck, clutching him for dear life. "One, two, three…"

Elena felt a biting gust of wind swirl around her, and closed her eyes. Mere seconds passed before she felt Damon slowing down, his body suddenly rigid against hers. He came to a stop, lowering her a few inches to her feet. Elena still held tight to him, not ready to let go, when he spoke, his voice oddly strangled and low.

"Oh my God…" Damon muttered, and Elena pulled away from him, wondering what could elicit such a reaction from him. She then became all too aware that it had grown warmer, and the air smelled off, almost like it was…burning. She studied the odd lights dancing on Damon's stricken face, and realization hit her.

Elena whirled on her heels, her hair flying around her in the falling snow. The horrific sight made her heart skip a beat, her kneecaps liquefying. Her eyesight blurred as she tried to focus on her house…her house. It was on fire. Her. Home. Was. Burning.

"NO!" She shrieked, her voice ripping through her chest. Her knees instantaneously solidified, and she began to run towards 2104 Maple Street, the only home she'd ever known, which was now engulfed in flames. She made it about ten feet before a pair of strong arms snatched at her waist from behind.

"Let me _go_, Damon! Jeremy and Jenna could be in there! Let go!" Elena screamed at him, her voice edged with hysteria. Her eyes involuntarily began to well up, and the look on her face pulled at Damon's heart.

"Come on. But what_ever_ happens, stay behind me and do as I tell you." He grabbed her by the wrist, leading her toward the house. Sirens wailed in the distance, the sound coming closer and closer. The two of them just made it to the edge of the yard when a fire truck pulled up, men in heavy suits leaping down from all sides and hurriedly going to work with the hoses. Elena was suddenly blindsided by a dark figure, and nearly screamed, but he quickly pulled away, and she recognized him: Jeremy.

"Oh my God, Jer!" She sobbed, pulling him to her and holding him in a death grip. "You're okay, you're safe," she kept repeating, her eyes flooding uncontrollably. "Wh-Where's Jenna?" She coughed out, choking on the cold, smoky air.

"She's on her way, she was out grocery shopping when this happened thank god," Jeremy replied in a husky voice, wheezing slightly. "I don't know what happened Elena, I really don't! I went down to the kitchen for a snack and all of a sudden the living room was blazing! It's as if the fire started all by itself!" They both turned back to look at the house, only to see the roof cave in and the crackling sounds of the fire grow even more deafening.

"It didn't go up on its own, I can promise you that," Damon stated ominously, his eyes narrowing. "Come on, we need to get out of here before we all suffocate." He grabbed Elena by the sleeve, who in turn grabbed Jeremy, and they walked around the yard, giving the house a wide berth. Damon spotted a bench nearby that was out of reach of the smoke and ash, but they were suddenly intercepted, quite unexpectedly.

"Bonnie?" Elena gasped, her voice thick and hoarse. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Bonnie's hands were shaking, and she nervously folded her arms. "I was on my way to talk to you about what happened, and then I saw this…" she gestured toward the house limply before facing the other three again. "I tried a spell to stop it, or at least lower the flames, but something was wrong, and the magic wasn't working…" Bonnie shook her head vehemently, as if trying to rid her head of a memory. "And that's when I saw these – these _shadows _emerge from the house, almost if they were…" Bonnie's voice broke off, like she was afraid to go on.

"Almost like they were what, Bonnie?" Elena asked quietly, resting a hand on her estranged friend's arm.

"Spirits," the witch whispered, her voice laced with self-doubt. "I know you guys must think I have more than a few screws loose, but-"

"You're right," Damon interrupted. "You saw demons. They're what started the fire."

Bonnie's eyes widened. "This can't be happening. _This can't be happening!_ Those were shapeshifters, weren't they?"

Elena's eyebrows shot toward the sky. "You know about them?"

"Wait, what on earth are shapeshifters?" Jeremy asked in a rough voice.

"I'll fill you in later, Jer," Elena promised, rubbing his shoulder. "How do you know about shapeshifters, Bonnie?"

"There's a warning about them in the grimoire. It said that all magic is useless against them."

"Brilliant. Just one more way we _can't _get rid of them," Damon growled, fighting the urge to cough.

"They're after you, aren't they?" Bonnie asked in a thin voice, as if she already knew the answer. Elena gave her a long, helpless look, and she swiped away a tear subconsciously. Hurried footfalls came from their left, and they all turned to watch the newcomer approach.

"Jenna!" Jeremy and Elena choked out simultaneously. Jenna threw her arms around the two of them, and they hugged for a long moment as fresh tears trailed down Elena's cheeks.

"I'm so glad you two are okay! I can't believe this. Jeremy, what happened?"

Jeremy cast a long look in Elena and Damon's direction before turning back to his breathless aunt. "I don't know, Aunt Jenna. One minute everything was fine, and the next, the house went up. It's like it came out of nowhere."

Elena nodded, and Damon grabbed her hand, shielded from the view of the others by the darkness.

Jenna shook her head, looking like she could collapse at any moment. "What are we going to do?" She asked the two of them, momentarily feeling like a child in the face of catastrophe.

"I don't know," Elena sighed, a cough tickling her throat as she shook her head. She squeezed Damon's hand in search of comfort, closing her eyes. "I really don't know."

… … …

** Elena just can't catch a break, can she? Before I go, I want to thank you a whole lot for the incredible response last chapter, I couldn't believe my eyes! So many reviews for such a meager little story. Thanks so much! Now let me know if you guys think I'm being to harsh on our favorite damsel ;) **


	14. Ever the Same

** Damn, I've done it to you all again. I've waited entirely too long to post an update. My sincerest apologies. So how are you fine people doing on this nasty TVD hiatus? I think I'm taking it surprisingly well, but I think it's because they didn't exactly leave us with a killer cliffhanger. Anyways, sorry again for the dreadfully long delay, but the holidays were killer this year. So here I am, trying to make it up to you by posting a chapter for Christmas. Off we go!**

**Chapter 14: Ever the Same**

… … …

_Now it's cold and we're scared_

_And we've both been shaken_

_Hey, look at us_

_Man this doesn't need to be the end_

_Just let me hold you while you're falling apart_

_Just let me hold you and we'll both fall down_

_Fall on me_

_Tell me everything you want me to be_

_Forever with you_

_Forever in me_

_Ever the same_

… … …

_Previously:_

"_You're right," Damon interrupted. "You saw demons. They're what started the fire."_

_ Bonnie's eyes widened. "This can't be happening. This can't be happening! Those were shapeshifters, weren't they?"_

_ Elena's eyebrows shot toward the sky. "You know about them?"_

_ "Wait, what on earth are shapeshifters?" Jeremy asked in a rough voice._

_ "I'll fill you in later, Jer," Elena promised, rubbing his shoulder. "How do you know about shapeshifters, Bonnie?"_

_ "There's a warning about them in the grimoire. It said that all magic is useless against them."_

_ "Brilliant. Just one more way we can't get rid of them," Damon growled, fighting the urge to cough._

_ "They're after you, aren't they?" Bonnie asked in a thin voice, as if she already knew the answer. Elena gave her a long, helpless look, and she swiped away a tear subconsciously._

_ Jenna shook her head, looking like she could collapse at any moment. "What are we going to do?" She asked the two of them, momentarily feeling like a child in the face of catastrophe._

_ "I don't know," Elena sighed, a cough tickling her throat as she shook her head. She squeezed Damon's hand in search of comfort, closing her eyes. "I really don't know."_

… … …

Elena quickly hurried through the snow-covered parking lot of the town's only bed-and-breakfast to her car, tossing furtive glances over her shoulder every five seconds. Jenna was crashing there indefinitely, and Elena had just finished helping her out with some insurance papers and a fire report. Jeremy was staying with an old friend, perfectly oblivious to the danger surrounding his sister. No matter how much she hated herself for it, Elena had Damon compel Jeremy into thinking the fire was a mystery, wiping his mind clear of any mention of shapeshifters. She couldn't bring him into the world of the hellish supernatural that really encroached upon Mystic Falls; it had done enough damage to him already.

She cranked her engine, shivering in the icy weather. Carefully maneuvering the icy roads, Elena took the quickest way back to the boarding house, anxious to be back and inside before dark. Damon and Stefan were pretty much stuck at home at the moment, considering they had no means to get their cars fixed and neither one was really scrambling to run through the woods alone anymore.

Elena pulled into the driveway and scampered to the front door, reaching for the handle with her freezing bare hand. The massive wooden door suddenly opened seemingly of its own accord, and she looked up to find her nose inches from Stefan's chest. Elena sighed impatiently, pushing past him and shooting him a glare.

"What do you want, Stefan?" Stefan's new choice of dietary intake had really put Elena on edge, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could take this new arrogant, temperamental, and condescending side of him.

"Relax, Elena. I was just going to ask if I could take your car out and restock on blood bags. We're running dangerously low, and I can't have that, now can I?" he asked airily, tilting his head to one side.

Elena rolled her eyes, grudgingly nodding her consent. Stefan smirked before he reached for Elena's front pocket, his fingers diving around for the keys.

"Stop being such an asshole!" She spat, slapping his hand away and retrieving the keys herself, tossing them in his general direction. She turned away from him, reaching to close the door in his face. He merely barked out a laugh, heading for the driveway. "And you really ought to quit wearing solid black – only Damon can pull that off," she shouted at his retreating back before slamming the door as forcefully as she could.

"You got that right," a voice agreed from behind her. Elena sighed in relief, slowly spinning around and shooting a helpless grin up at Damon.

"Sorry," she mumbled, easing into his arms. "I promise I'm not trying to be such a grouch.

"Its okay, Stefan tends to do that to people," Damon reassured her, running a hand down the length of her hair. He dramatically glanced around the parlor over her shoulder, turning his messy head this way and that.

"What is it?" Elena asked, tensing up. She didn't think she could handle another rampage from the shapeshifters tonight. She was worried enough about everyone else as it is.

"Looks like we got the house to ourselves tonight," he whispered, smiling crookedly. Elena pulled back, her eyebrows raised.

"And what exactly do you have in mind?" she questioned, a small smile tugging at her own lips.

"I'll grab a movie, you get the wine?" he suggested, waggling his eyebrows.

"Sounds like the best plan I've heard all week," she said, already heading toward the wine pantry. Damon disappeared up the stairs faster than she could blink.

… … …

"So what are we watching?" Elena asked as she climbed up next to Damon on his huge four poster bed.

"_Vertigo,_" he replied, fast-forwarding through the previews. She shot him a curious look, and he shrugged. "Classic Hitchcock. You'll like it."

Elena handed him a wine glass before pouring him a hearty dose of port. He swallowed a mouthful while she filled her own glass and set the bottle down on the mahogany nightstand. Damon wrapped an arm around her waist and dragged her nearer to him so that she was nestled into his side. Biting back a smile, Elena sipped her drink and curled into him, lowering her head to his broad shoulder. Damon kissed the top of her head, and her heart skipped, the movie doomed to be forgotten. She turned her face upward, searching for his lips. He leaned down and captured her full bottom lip with his mouth, smoothly pulling her wine glass from her grasp and setting it aside. She kissed him back gently, and he leaned over her, tilting her head back to deepen the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he caressed her shoulders, running his hands over them and then down her sides. When she became short of breath, he broke away, his lips taking course down her inner arm and continuing down her elbow and forearm. When he reached her wrist, his lips brushed over slightly puckered skin, and he pulled away, his eyes wide. He ran his fingertip down the length of a thin scar, which was a slightly different shade from the rest of her olive skin. His advanced vision helped him to see several other similar scars, which had faded to the point where they weren't visible to the human eye. Elena's hand clenched into a fist and she looked down, her face burning.

"Elena…" he implored, his voice astoundingly soft. He brushed his thumb lightly over her wrist, back and forth in soothing circles.

It took her several long moments to recover her voice. "I…I struggled a lot in the first few weeks after the accident. I didn't understand why _I _was still alive when _they_…" she paused to suck in air. "It was a distraction. I guess in some sick way I felt like I deserved the pain." She fell silent, unable to look him in the eye.

Damon's insides clenched, as if they were all being pushed on from an outside force. He couldn't stand to see her this way, and just _imagining _her with a blade in hand, _hurting_ herself…he swallowed thickly. He reached up to cradle the side of her hot face with his hand, pulling her face gently upward. Her eyes remained downcast, and his thumb rubbed back and forth over her jaw line.

"Elena, look at me."

A few seconds passed before she looked up, her chocolate doe eyes looking like they were melting. When they met his burning blue ones, she felt a dull, aching warmth spread from her chest outward, and she couldn't tear away from his gaze.

"I want you to promise me," he spoke in a tender, painfully earnest voice, brushing a piece of hair away from her face, "to never, ever do that again. Promise me."

Her eyes watered, and she bit down hard on her bottom lip. "I promise."

"Thank you," he whispered simply, and drew her wrist back up to his lips to kiss it. "Because…because I love you too much to even think about letting that happen again."

Elena heaved out a shaky sigh and nestled her face into his neck, laying her arm across his chest. "I love you too," she murmured against his skin.

The wind outside the house let out a mighty howl, rattling the windows in their panes. Damon lifted his head lightly, listening hard. There was a rustling noise, and then the entire house went black.

… … …

** Super short chapter, I'm sorry :( but it's all I had time for, and I really wanted to get some semblance of an update out. Happy Holidays to you all, and please still love me and review!**


	15. The Only Song I Want To Hear

***peers up from keyboard shamefully*…Hey, guys. I know, I know, it's been almost an entire month since I updated. I feel awful. I deserve to be virtually lynched or something. Please forgive me? I have been so busy that I haven't managed to sit down for even a few hours and write. And on top of that, the show has been gone for over 6 weeks now, and especially considering the episode they left us with, my Delena inspiration has dwindled to a dangerously low level. So I perked myself up by watching youtube fan videos, and here I am, hopefully doing the story some semblance of justice. The end is near, probably only a few chapters left. So enough of my rambling and excuses – off we go.**

**Chapter 15: The Only Song I Want to Hear**

… … …

_And I do believe it's true_

_That there are roads left in both of our shoes_

_But if the silence takes you_

_Then I hope it takes me too_

_So brown eyes I hold you near_

_Cause you're the only song I want to hear_

_A melody softly soaring through the atmosphere_

_Where soul meets body_

… … …

_**Previously:**_

… _Elena heaved out a shaky sigh and nestled her face into his neck, laying her arm across his chest. "I love you too," she murmured against his skin._

_ The wind outside the house let out a mighty howl, rattling the windows in their panes. Damon lifted his head lightly, listening hard. There was a rustling noise, and then the entire house went black._

… … …

"Damon?" Elena whispered frantically, clinging to him and trembling in the sudden darkness.

Damon clamped a hand over her mouth and held her close, whispering "Shh," and listening hard. Elena strained to hear anything, and all she caught was an increasingly louder shuffling noise. It seemed to be coming up the stairs. Elena's heart pounded wildly as it came closer and closer, and she nearly screamed when Damon's bedroom door creaked open.

"Why did you guys turn off all the lights?" a voice asked in annoyance, and Damon groaned, half-relieved.

"Stefan, you bastard! Are you _trying _to get me to rip your head off? Because you know I will." The lights suddenly flickered back on with a faint buzzing noise, and Elena could finally see where the third voice in the room was coming from. She fell back against the pillow, rolling her eyes in frustration.

"What can I say? For all I knew you guys were playing some kinky version of hide-and-seek…" Stefan trailed off suggestively, a lascivious grin twisting his face.

"Oh shut the hell up and get the hell out, why don't you?" Damon muttered at his brother, tossing a pillow in his direction.

Stefan held up his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine. I'll just head down to the grill. Hopefully find myself some more…willing company." He flitted out of the room with a sudden burst of speed, and a second later they heard the front door slam.

"God, that scared me," Elena sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"My brother's a dick," Damon offered by way of an apology, shrugging.

Elena rolled over, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. "I think I'm gonna go down and get some water, try to calm down a bit. I'll be right back," she assured him, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before standing up to walk out of the room. Damon watched her until she was out of sight, then reclined against the pillows somewhat uneasily. Stefan had just been a false alarm, but that still didn't explain the sudden blackout. He listened carefully to every movement in the house, ready to bolt down the stairs at any moment.

Elena traipsed into the kitchen, grabbing a glass from the cabinet and filling it with water. She leaned against the counter as she sipped, staring out into the snowy night. The ground was covered in several inches of snow; it had been for several weeks now. The frigid wind howled, making the boarding house creak and moan. Elena shivered, wishing she had worn a heavier sweater. She closed her eyes, and for a moment, everything was still. Tingling, her eyes snapped back open, and she still saw nothing. The house was completely dark again. Without warning, the back door burst open and a snowy blast of air enveloped Elena, chilling her to the bone. Growls ripped through the air, and a sudden searing pain pierced a spot just above Elena's knee; then everything went black.

… … …

Damon sped down the stairs faster than he had ever moved as soon as he heard the growls, and as he screeched to a halt in the kitchen he was greeted by the scene of an unconscious Elena crumpled on the floor, her knee streaming in blood. The back door had been thrown open and snow was coming in, but the demons were no longer in the house. He couldn't feel their presence any longer. The house lights had yet to flicker back on, and Damon used his enhanced vision to kneel at Elena's side, his hands actually trembling in panic. He could detect a heartbeat, but it was faint and lagging. He placed his hands on either side of her face, silently pleading with her to wake up. As if she felt his touch through her unconsciousness, her eyes flickered open, glazed and unfocused.

"My knee," she sputtered, her voice guttural. "_Hurts."_ She moaned and whimpered uncontrollably. Damon's gaze traveled down to the area just above her knee, which was bleeding profusely from two messy puncture wounds. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, trying to rein it in. _He wasn't going to lose her – not again. _

"I know it hurts, baby, I know. I'm going to give you some of my blood and it'll make it better, okay?" Damon wasn't entirely sure that his blood _could _help in this situation, but he'd be damned if he didn't try. She didn't make a move to acknowledge that she'd heard him, but he swiftly bit into his wrist nevertheless, holding it to her lips. At first she was unresponsive, but after the taste of his blood hit her tongue, she began to suck feebly at the wound, understanding what he was trying to do.

"There's a good girl. Drink up," he encouraged, letting her pull at his wrist for a little while longer before reluctantly pulling away, allowing his wrist to heal. To his immense relief, he saw the puncture wounds already beginning to knit themselves back together. Letting out a huff of air, he pushed himself to his feet to grab a towel to clean her up. Carefully bunching up the dark fleecy bath towel, he crouched near her legs and dabbed at her knee, wiping away the blood from her freshly healed skin. She stirred groggily, pushing herself up to lean on her elbows. Her eyes followed his tender movements slowly, and she suddenly spoke, her voice so low even Damon had to concentrate to hear it.

"I thought it was over." The sorrow in her voice made Damon's dead heart lurch, and he finished his work and tossed the towel aside deliberately before leaning to pick her up gently. "I can walk," she protested, and he complied, still keeping his arm around her for safe measure. As they passed the open door, Damon reached out to shut it, but Elena stiffened in his grasp, pointing to the porch steps.

A crumpled black form lay there in the snow, sprawled limply on a step. Its head lolled back and its unseeing eyes were wide open. Its fangs were still bared, and glistening with blood. "That must've been the one that bit me…" she said, her voice heavy and questioning.

",,,And its dead. That's odd. How in hell did that happen?" Damon questioned in disbelief, his eyes widening before he slammed the door shut. The lights, as if on cue, flickered back to life, and Elena limped to the parlor couch, sinking down with a confused look on her face.

"How?" Elena inquired, but Damon merely shook his head wearily.

"I have no idea, Elena. We're just lucky we have one less of them to deal with, I guess." He sank down on the edge of the couch, gingerly rubbing a hand on her knee. His hand paused, and he dropped his head to gaze at it, before dipping down to softly kiss the faint scar the bite had left. Inexplicably, tears sprang into Elena's eyes at the gesture, and she bit her lip in an effort to stop them from rolling down her cheeks. Damon looked up when he heard her sniffle, and he canted his head to one side, his eyes widening. Tugging her hand to his lips, he kissed her palm, then whispered against it, "What's the matter?"

"They'll come back," she choked out, her voice thick. "They'll come back until they finish what they've come to do. And we'll be dead." She broke off, tears streaming silently down her cheeks.

Damon, suddenly finding an irrational resolve within himself, gripped her hand more tightly and whispered with conviction, "No they won't."

"What?" she stuttered, caught off guard. "How can you know-"

"Because I'm going after them."

Elena was too stunned to speak for a moment or two, but quickly recovered her voice. "Damon, no! You'll get yourself killed! You heard Alaric yourself; no one knows how – or even if – these shapeshifters can be taken down. You'll never come back, and I can't let you do this! Forget it! You and I both know it would be a suicide mission!"

"Elena," he said in a low, earnest voice, "There is _no _way I am going to just stand by and watch these demons kill off you and everyone you hold dear. I can't do that. I have to go. It's the only way." He determinedly got up from the couch and leaned down to kiss her briefly, but tenderly, with an underlying sense of urgency. "I love you," he whispered, a ghost in her ear. Elena reached up to grip his shoulders and beg him to stay, but he was gone.

"Damon!" a strangled cry ripped through her throat, and she hobbled as fast as she could to the back door, flinging it open. "Damon!" she shouted again into the night, her voice disappearing into the raging wind. There was no reply, and she knew he was gone. She called his name one, twice, thrice more, desperate sobs creeping into her voice. Giving up, she forlornly shut the door, sinking to the floor behind it and burying her face in her arms.

… … …

What felt like hours later, Elena heard the front door open and close, accompanied by heavy footfalls. She looked up, her heart swelling, only to have it crash back down when she saw Stefan walk into the kitchen. Stefan, seeing Elena slumped against the back door with tearstains on her cheeks, immediately knew something was wrong.

"Where's Damon?" Stefan asked, momentarily forgoing his new douche bag personality and eying her with concern.

"He went after the shapeshifters," she mumbled to her toes. "One of them attacked me, so he lit out, saying he was going to take them down." She gulped for air. "He's gone, Stefan."

"I'll go look for him. I'll bring him back." Elena stood up, prepared to protest, but he cut her off. "Don't worry. I'll come back with him." And he, just like his brother earlier, disappeared into the snowy night.

Sighing in resignation, Elena paced (albeit with a limp) to and fro in the dimly lit parlor, wearing out the thick carpet with worry. Her eyelids began to droop, and she almost collapsed onto the couch, asleep within seconds of curling onto the cushions.

… … …

Elena awoke with a start at the heavy click of the front door shutting, and blearily looked up from the cushion to see Stefan walking wearily toward her. Alone. Elena looked past him, waiting for _him_ to stumble through the door at any moment. Her heart sank further with each second that past, and fell to somewhere between her toes when Stefan opened his mouth to speak. She already knew what he was going to say.

"I couldn't find him. I looked everywhere, I swear I did. All we can do now is wait. I tried…" His voice suddenly became muffled in her ears, and she numbly rose from the couch, stumbling into the kitchen and over to the back door. She slowly pulled it open, staring out into the woods. The sky was still dark, but it was beginning to fade into the dull purple of morning. The wind was still blowing, but not nearly as strong as before. Elena felt that something was devastatingly off, yet she couldn't place it in her sleepy state. Blinking slowly, she stepped onto the threshold, looking from side to side in an almost dream-like state. She closed her eyes, images of her and Damon playing on the roof in North Carolina dancing before her eyes. Grimacing, he eyes fluttered back open. She knew now what was wrong. For the first time since she had found Damon again, it had stopped snowing, leaving a desolate emptiness in its wake.

… … …

**This does not bode well. Sorry to leave you with such a morbid chapter after such a long break, but I'm having trouble hitting my stride again here. So here's to hoping the show provides us with some amazing inspiration soon? Once again I am really sorry I took this long to update, I know how terrible it is to have to wait this long. Please forgive me and review? Criticism is always welcome. Oh, and if you feel like it, follow me on twitter: romancerevival9. I love you all! Over and out.**


	16. Fix You

**It seems I'm getting really bad about this…I'm sorry I took so long to update again. However, last chapter got less than 10 reviews so I'm guessing most of you have lost interest by now. But we should be near the end, so I hope you hang with me to find out what's happened to our heroes here. **

**Chapter 16: Fix You **

… … …

_High up above or down below_

_When you're too in love to let it go_

_But if you never try you'll never know_

_Just what you're worth_

_Lights will guide you home _

_and ignite your bones_

_and I will try to fix you_

_Tears stream down your face_

_When you lose something you cannot replace_

_Tears stream down your face_

_I promise you I will learn from my mistakes_

_And I will try_

_To Fix You_

… … …

_Previously:_

… Tingling, Elena's eyes snapped back open, and she still saw nothing. The house was completely dark again. Without warning, the back door burst open and a snowy blast of air enveloped Elena, chilling her to the bone. Growls ripped through the air, and a sudden searing pain pierced a spot just above Elena's knee; then everything went black.

… A crumpled black form lay there in the snow, sprawled limply on a step. Its head lolled back and its unseeing eyes were wide open. Its fangs were still bared, and glistening with blood. "That must've been the one that bit me…" she said, her voice heavy and questioning.

…"Elena," Damon said in a low, earnest voice, "There is _no _way I am going to just stand by and watch these demons kill off you and everyone you hold dear. I can't do that. I have to go. It's the only way." He determinedly got up from the couch and leaned down to kiss her briefly, but tenderly, with an underlying sense of urgency. "I love you," he whispered, a ghost in her ear. Elena reached up to grip his shoulders and beg him to stay, but he was gone.

… She knew now what was wrong. For the first time since she had found Damon again, it had stopped snowing, leaving a desolate emptiness in its wake.

… … …

Elena tipped the last of the bourbon into the tumbler, leaning back into the couch and staring mindlessly into the fire. Her pinky absent-mindedly traced the faint scar on her knee, and she swallowed some of the sharp amber liquid. The door slammed, the air around her suddenly drafty. Elena didn't even bother to turn back and see who was coming in. She might have, if it were two weeks earlier, back when she still could hope. But now, all she had was resignation and a dull ache over her chest.

"Hey," Stefan greeted casually, walking past her and to the fridge to fish out a bag of blood. He merely shook his head when she didn't reply. He had given up on winning her back, even though he now had no one to take her from. This Elena was only a shell of the one he fell in love with, and he knew he couldn't bring that girl back. Only his brother could. And as much as he hated to think it, he missed his brother like hell. No matter how much of a loose cannon Damon seemed to be, the all knew he had been the one holding down the fort.

During the first week after he had disappeared into the night, Stefan had spent hours every day out scouring the town, the surrounding forests, even the surrounding counties. With each passing day that his brother didn't turn up, he knew the chances grew slimmer. No one even knew what these shapeshifters were capable of; much less what they could do to a lover on a suicide mission. As time dragged on, Stefan stayed out later and later. He couldn't stand going back to the boarding house alone, having to watch Elena's painfully hopeful face crumple in dismay night after night. He hated waking up to the sound of her sobbing and curled up on the floor in one of Damon's old leather jackets.

After 6 days, he had stopped searching altogether. He knew if he were still out there, his brother would've found a way home by then. He'd buried the body of the wolf that had collapsed on the back steps, having to dig through old snow and hard ground to hide the demonic creature. Despite further intensive research, he and Alaric hadn't managed to find why the wolf had died after biting Elena. All they knew was that the rest of the pack hadn't returned since.

Finishing off her third drink, Elena rose and shuffled into the kitchen to rinse out her glass. She mechanically filled it with water and dumped it back out, drying it with a rag and setting it aside. Blindly, she returned to the couch, folding her legs beneath her as she sat back down. Her eyes threatened to drift shut, but she forced them open. If she fell asleep, she would dream. And when she dreamed, _he _was still with her. She could no longer handle the disappointment of waking up. Slowly turning her head to the right, she gazed sullenly out the window. The sky was a dull grayish blue, and a faint wind rustled the dead black branches of the trees. It still wasn't snowing. It hadn't snowed a single flake since the night _he _disappeared.

Elena had thought that Damon's leaving last time had hurt her. That it had been unbearable. She realized now that she had been laughably wrong. That didn't even compare to now. She had gotten a taste of his life, of his _love,_ when she had gone to find him. Now that she knew what it could be like, it was yanked out from under her. And that was what made it infinitely worse. This time, she couldn't drop everything and go bring him back. This time, she didn't know if he was even out there to find.

"I'm upstairs," she called into the kitchen, starting up the stairs sluggishly.

"Let me know if you need anything," Stefan called back between sips of O negative.

Elena meandered down the second floor hall, peeking into various old guestrooms. Her steps grew slower and slower as she neared the end, and she came to a complete stop as she faced the glossy dark wood of the heavy door. Steeling herself and taking a deep breath, she pushed forward, letting the door swing back on its hinges. She tiptoed almost reverently into the cavernous room, moving almost magnetically toward the incredibly luxurious four-poster bed. Closing her eyes and biting her lip, she fell into the soft layers of sheets, still unmade from the last time they were slept in. She buried her face in the pillow, letting their scent flood her senses. Her heart lurched, and she hugged the pillow tightly as it grew wet with her salty tears. She marveled briefly that she was even able to cry anymore. Her head began to ache, and she burrowed deeper into the mattress, yanking the sheets over her head. When the sobbing finally subsided, she hiccupped, and realized she was beginning to drift. She furiously pushed the covers off of her, sitting up a little to fast. Her head spun, and she shook it as if to clear it. _She could not fall asleep._ Determined to remain conscious, her gaze shifted to the bedside table. An old book with a faded cloth cover was resting by the elegant lamp, and she reached for it, fingering the worn spine: _Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell._ Curious, she opened it and thumbed to the publisher's page: May 1936. If she remembered correctly, that was the first month it was in print, which meant that it was a first edition. Elena shook her head, not entirely surprised.

Elena turned the book over in her hands thoughtfully. She had never actually read _Gone With the Wind;_ she had only been told that she really just _had _to. She flipped to the first page, settling back against the smooth headboard. She needed to take her mind off of this, or maybe just life in general, and she had nothing better to do. So she let her eyes drift to the first line and began to read.

She was surprisingly drawn into the tale of the old South. Pages turned into chapters which turned into parts, and she couldn't bring herself to put it down. Hours passed, and Elena vaguely noticed that somewhere it had gone from day to night and then day again. Nevertheless, she read on, curious about the fate that awaited the southern bitch and her various suitors. She immediately took a liking to Rhett; he was not a good man, and he didn't bother hiding it. Yet he could be the most tender and determined man on earth, stopping at nothing once he set his mind to it. Yet Elena's grin drooped and eventually fell into a frown as she neared the end of the book. Scarlett abused the man who loved her the most throughout the entire book, and didn't realize that she loved him back until it was too late. Until he was gone. With a grimace, Elena closed the novel and set it back in its place, thinking maybe she didn't like it that well after all. She couldn't help but disagree with the last line in the book; tomorrow was not always another day. Not in Elena's world.

Night had fallen again, and Elena reluctantly dragged herself away from _his _room and back to the kitchen. Stefan was nowhere in sight. Shrugging, Elena trekked over to the liquor cart and poured herself another drink. She knew she didn't need it, but she wasn't really concerned about drinking herself to death anymore. Things like that seemed insignificant in this miserable haze. Sitting in an arm chair, Elena drank in a daze, unconscious of time passing. Indifferent to the monotony that she was now living in. The front door creaked open, and she heard footsteps on the hardwood floor before it slowly shut again. She didn't turn and look. She didn't have the hope to bother anymore. She didn't have the heart. She casually took another swig from her drink, closing her eyes against the glow of the fire.

"Elena?"

… … …

** There should only be a chapter, maybe two, after this one. If you're still reading, please do me a huge favor and drop a few lines? It's hard to know what everyone wants or doesn't want to see without feedback. And while you're at it, I'd love to hear what you guys think about how the show is going. Personally, I loved Episode 2x13 (Daddy Issues). It reminded me of the show I fell in diehard love with in season 1. And I'm a bit puzzled about this new Damon. I think my favorite Damon was late season 1 Damon, when he was still bad ass but his emotions and compassion peeked through sometimes. Ah well, I love him any way he is. I love you all, and I couldn't have made this story what it is without you. Thanks so much! Over and out. **


	17. All The Same

** I'm baaaack! First off, I have to mention that the response to last chapter was absolutely MIND-BLOWING. Over 40 reviews! That definitely broke my personal record by far. Thank you thank you thank you so much! I am still getting reviews and it's been two weeks. Made up for the weak response to chapter 15 many times over. I really can't believe it! If only this could happen every time…I even got a few more hits on "Reading Between the Lines". Didn't expect that at all! Okay I will stop my incessant if grateful ramblings and get on with it now. Second to last chapter, you guys!**

**Chapter 17: All The Same**

… … …

_I don't care, no I wouldn't dare_

_To fix the twist in you_

_You've shown me eventually what you'll do_

_I don't mind, I don't care_

_As long as you're here_

_Go ahead and tell me you'll leave again_

_You'll just come back running_

_Holding your scarred heart in hand_

_It's all the same_

_And I'll take you for who you are_

_If you'll take me for everything_

_And do it all over again_

_It's all the same_

… … …

_Previously: _

… _Her eyes threatened to drift shut, but she forced them open. If she fell asleep, she would dream. And when she dreamed, he was still with her. She could no longer handle the disappointment of waking up. Slowly turning her head to the right, she gazed sullenly out the window. The sky was a dull grayish blue, and a faint wind rustled the dead black branches of the trees. It still wasn't snowing. It hadn't snowed a single flake since the night he disappeared. _

… _Night had fallen again, and Elena reluctantly dragged herself away from his room and back to the kitchen. Stefan was nowhere in sight. Shrugging, Elena trekked over to the liquor cart and poured herself another drink. She knew she didn't need it, but she wasn't really concerned about drinking herself to death anymore. Things like that seemed insignificant in this miserable haze. Sitting in an arm chair, Elena drank in a daze, unconscious of time passing. Indifferent to the monotony that she was now living in. The front door creaked open, and she heard footsteps on the hardwood floor before it slowly shut again. She didn't turn and look. She didn't have the hope to bother anymore. She didn't have the heart. She casually took another swig from her drink, closing her eyes against the glow of the fire. _

_ "Elena?"_

… … …

Elena's heart suddenly stilled upon hearing his voice, then picked up its rhythm in double time. The glass tumbler slid out of her fingers, landing with a thud on the carpet, and the amber liquid inside spread quickly, creating a dark cloud on the oriental threads. She sprang from her seat, wobbling slightly due to the combination of sleep deprivation and excessive alcohol consumption. Nevertheless, she half-sprinted across the room, flinging her arms around his neck, an uncontrollable sob catching in her throat. Muscular, but obviously fatigued arms wrapped around her back, pulling her body as close to his as possible. Elena craned her neck back, searching for the eyes she knew she could lose herself forever in several times over. When her eyes finally collided with the iridescent blue, she smashed her lips to his, both of them tasting the salt of her tears.

"Where the hell have you been?" she demanded to know, her thick voice cracking every few words. She kissed him again without waiting for a reply. "I thought I'd lost you _again! _For_ever _this time!" Her lips were drawn to his once more before she pulled away again. "Do you even know what that was _doing _to me? I couldn't go through that a second time! I _swear _to god if you _ever _do that to me again-" she pressed her mouth against the corner of his before ghosting a kiss over his full bottom lip, then wrapped her arms around his neck as tightly as possible, lifting one to bury a hand in his cold, silky hair.

"Elena," he finally spoke, his voice coming in a rough half whisper. He caught her gaze and held it. Her chin trembled, and he brought his hands up to cup the sides of her face, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. He studied her face as if he were committing her features to memory for the first time. His own face remained expressionless, his lips slightly parted. "I didn't mean to be so long."

Elena's face crumpled, and she tucked her face against his broad chest.

"I thought you were dead," she whispered, her lips brushing against the worn fabric of his shirt.

"So did I," he murmured, resting his cheek atop her head and trailing his hands up and down her back. "So did I."

"But you're back now, and that's all that matters," she said against his chest with a sniffle. She stepped away from him, grabbing his hand and tangling her fingers in his as she did so; she didn't want to let him go. Her eyes drifted down his almost drooping body, and she finally saw him again for the first time. There were faint bite marks on his neck, the back of his hand, and one on his torso that was peeking through a rip in his black shirt. There were deep purple shadows under his eyes, and the hand she held was freezing. She'd never seen him so worse for wear, and it scared her.

"What happened to you, Damon?" her voice wavering with concern. His eyes fell shut when he heard his name fall from her lips, and he squeezed her hand with faint pressure.

"I'll tell you everything. Just let me get some blood first. "

"No, I'll get it. You go sit on the couch, you look like hell." Elena led him over to the antique sofa and pushed him down on to it by the shoulders. She knew he must've been in pretty bad shape if he didn't protest her jibe about how he looked, and she hurried down to the cellar. She opened the lid of the cooler and grabbed three bags of blood before racing up the stairs to empty them into a thermos and shove it in the microwave. She impatiently paced around the kitchen, her body tense and waiting for the beeping sound the appliance always made. She all but ran back into the parlor, sitting on the edge of the sofa Damon was reclined on and carefully handing him the thermos.

He emptied it in three gulps, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand and exhaling loudly. Elena noticed that the color was already beginning to return to his cheeks, and she grasped his hand experimentally; it too was growing warmer. She sighed with relief and lay down as well, curling into his side and wrapping an arm around his ribcage.

"Tell me what happened to you," she whispered anxiously. He took a deep breath and turned to stare into the fire, and several moments passed before he spoke. When he did, his voice was low and rough.

"The night I left, I started tracking the shapeshifters. They led me pretty deep into the woods, and every time I thought I was getting close to them, they would start to growl, circle, and then take off again. At one point I must've been at least 100 miles from here. On the second night, I finally stopped to rest, and they attacked. There were around ten of them, though I barely had time to count. I didn't even see them coming.

"They all jumped on me and bit wherever they could get their teeth on. I was bleeding pretty badly. I thought I was a goner. That's when it got really strange. Every single wolf that had bitten me, which was every single one there, started backing off – they grew weaker and weaker. The first one that bit me was the first one that died. They all started dropping like flies, and before I knew it I was surrounded by a pack of dead wolves. Just like the one that died after biting you. When my wounds finally healed enough for me to get up, I started walking back.

"I don't know why it happened then, and I still don't now. I don't think anyone can explain it. I just know that if they hadn't, I wouldn't be here right now."

Elena snuggled closer to him, shaking her head. "That's the strangest thing…according to Alaric, it didn't sound like they died after biting the other people. Maybe there's something wrong with us?"

Damon's mouth twisted wryly. "Maybe there is." His eyes fluttered shut and he pulled Elena into his chest. "We'll talk to Ric about it later. Tomorrow…is another day," he said, yawning between words. Elena grinned at the reference to the book in his room, and she closed her eyes as well, feeling herself begin to drift.

"Damon?" she whispered, right before long-neglected sleep claimed her.

"Hmm?" he murmured, half asleep himself.

"I love you," she said in a voice not audible to human ears.

"I love you too," he replied, whispering into her soft hair, before they both drifted into a peaceful sleep.

… … …

Stefan pushed open the front door of the boarding house, feeling a comfortable silence. He began toward the stairs for his room, but stopped abruptly on passing the parlor. He blinked several times, not believing what he saw. His brother was sprawled on the couch, looking more than a little worse for wear, with Elena in his arms. They were both sound asleep. Stefan didn't even have it in him to be jealous anymore. He was only bursting with relief at the sight of his big brother home again. Pathetically enough, he felt like he'd lost his sense of direction whenever his brother was gone, and he didn't know how he was going to handle it as a permanent situation. Sighing, a faint smile graced his lips as he continued upstairs. All was right in the world once more.

… … …

** Sorry this is incredibly short, but I wanted so save certain things for the absolute last chapter. But Damon's back! Yay? Hope this chapter did enough for you guys, seeing as the show hasn't really been giving Damon and Elena any scenes together as of late. And now we have to wait until April 7****th**** for new episodes! Damn hiatuses. There's been way too many. Also a shout out to my friend Mystewitch: she's been under the weather lately, so all of you go be amazing and check out her stories if you haven't already read them. They're some of the best fanfics I've ever read. Show her some love and hope she feels better soon! Oh and one last request: please let me know if there's anything you want to see before this wraps up, and let me know what you thought about this chapter too, by leaving me a review. Commentary on the show is welcome too, I love hearing from other fans about it! You guys are the best! Lots of love. **


	18. Everything

**Damn…I suck. Bad. It's been way too long. I really didn't mean to, but spring is always really busy for me, and the show was gone for so long…and my inspiration is f'ing dead. Really. Not many substantial D/E bones have been thrown in our direction at all this season. I barely knew what to do with this final chapter, so excuse me if it's off. I'm having trouble getting back into rhythm. Plus, it's very odd writing back somewhere in season 1. No Klaus or Katherine to figure in. Nevertheless, off we go for the final time. **

**Chapter 18: Everything**

… … …

_You calm the storms_

_And you give me rest_

_You hold me in your hands_

_You won't let me fall_

_You steal my heart_

_And take my breath away_

_Would you take me in?_

_Take me deeper now_

_Would you tell me how could it be_

_Any better than this?_

… … …

_**Previously**_**:**

… _Elena's face crumpled, and she tucked her face against his broad chest. _

_ "I thought you were dead," she whispered, her lips brushing against the worn fabric of his shirt. _

_ "So did I," he murmured, resting his cheek atop her head and trailing his hands up and down her back. "So did I."_

…"_They all jumped on me and bit wherever they could get their teeth on. I was bleeding pretty badly. I thought I was a goner. That's when it got really strange. Every single wolf that had bitten me, which was every single one there, started backing off – they grew weaker and weaker. The first one that bit me was the first one that died. They all started dropping like flies, and before I knew it I was surrounded by a pack of dead wolves. Just like the one that died after biting you. When my wounds finally healed enough for me to get up, I started walking back."_

… … …

"Yeah, Jenna, that's really great news! When did you say we could move in?" Elena ran a hand through her hair, happy to listen to her aunt enthusiastically describing the little house she'd just bought for them. "Next Sunday? That's really soon. The weather reporter said he doesn't expect the snow apocalypse to be over by then, so me and Jer can help with the moving process." Elena listened to her aunt's relieved response, and agreed with her incredulity over the school hiatus. "I know! We've never been out for this long. We'll probably still be in school in July, at this rate." There was a pause. "Oh, you have to go talk to the moving truck people? Talk to you later then, Jenna. Love you." Elena sighed as she heard the line go dead at the other end. She glanced out the window, watching a small SUV struggle to navigate the icy roads. Her mind flashed back to Asheville, and she groaned, wondering whatever had become of her stolen car. She closed her eyes and shook her head, pushing that thought away to the back of her mind, vowing to think about it another day.

Elena suddenly became hyperaware of her surroundings, getting that tingly feeling she only felt when she was around-

"Boo." She felt two strong arms snake around her torso, pulling her into a very lean, muscular chest.

"Casper the Friendly Ghost impersonations don't suit you, Damon," Elena chastised as she smiled and turned her head into his shoulder.

"Like you could do any better," he said acidly into her hair.

"So I take it you're feeling better?" she asked, thinking back to how quickly he had fallen into an almost comatose sleep last night.

"Much," he assured her, kissing her temple.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt the love fest here, guys, but I think I might I have some answers as to why the wolves that bit you died."

Damon sighed impatiently. "Ric. Lovely to see your scruffy face again. Have a seat, why don't you?"

Ric rolled his eyes and sank down into an overstuffed armchair. Damon disentangled himself from Elena, grabbing her hand and lead her with him to the couch opposite Alaric's chair.

"Alright. Out with it, Buffy 2.0."

Ric sighed. "I know this is going to sound a little hokey - okay, _a lot_ hokey - but I've been digging deeper into this shapeshifter research, and I found an urban legend."

Damon's eyes narrowed and shifted. "So let me get this straight: You found an urban legend that may or not be true about another urban legend which happens to be real but also happened to die after biting two different types of mythological creatures which aren't really mythological at all but are in fact very real?"

Ric shot Damon a wry look. "Well when you put it _that_ way…but yeah, that pretty much sums it up.

"The thing is, there was one particular account where a vampire couple was hunted and bitten by a pack of shapeshifters. They didn't die, but the wolves did. Stymied, they consulted their friendly neighborhood witch, who was very well educated on all things…folkloric. She did some witchy spell – a medical autopsy of sorts – on the wolf bites, and said that the reason the demons died after biting the two of them was because they had been 'poisoned by the blood of one who has found their soul mate.' She said that their blood had been tainted by the fact that they had found their 'soul mate' or 'twin flame' within each other, and true love, being the absolute opposite of evil, was too much for the demons to handle. Thus, they bit the dust. I don't entirely believe that that's even a plausible explanation, but it's the only one we've got."

Elena's eyes clashed immediately with Damon's, but her words were directed at Ric. "So you're saying that the reason that the wolves died after biting us was because Damon and I are…soul mates?" Her voice rose skeptically at the end of her question.

"That's got to be one of the most ridiculously romantic pieces of shit I've ever heard," Damon drawled, his eyes flashing. "Thanks for trying, Ric, but I guess we'll never have a cold hard explanation of what's happened here."

Ric shrugged, rising to make his exit. He didn't really want to stick around to watch the tension between the couple unfold. "I'll just...show myself out. Later."

"Thanks, Ric," Elena called softly to his retreating back, her eyes not leaving Damon. After a minute or two of heavy silence, she spoke. "Soul mates, huh? What do you make of that?"

He waited a moment before replying in a low voice. "I don't know what I believe. But that's the only explanation we have. And if you ask me, I wouldn't say it's entirely ludicrous." He reached up to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear, his fingers grazing her cheekbone.

Elena almost smiled at the unspoken confession in his answer. At his touch, she felt a deep, resonating warmth spread from her chest outward. "Not ludicrous at all," she agreed, scooting forward and curling into his chest. As she leaned her face into his neck, she caught a glimpse of the lightly falling snow. Snow that had begun her new life; her new world: her world with Damon. Because she had finally followed their hearts – hers and his - and chosen him, not because someone needed to, but because she wanted to – _just once_.

… … …

** *Coughs* Well that was unmercifully corny. I'm sorry this chapter was ridiculously short, but I didn't want to drag you guys along after I felt like it should've ended, and quite honestly, I'm flat out of juice for this story. I apologize many times over to all of you loyal followers, and I hope to make it up to you by coming up with something new…and more inspired. I know it's way too much to ask, but could you all please do me a tremendous favor and let this story go out with at least a mighty whimper by leaving one final review? I still love you guys SO much, even if I didn't show it by posting regularly. I'm grateful to you all, and until next we meet, I must bid you **_**adieu. **_


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